The local government of Malabon on Tuesday (July 28) denounced as "fake news" a social media post claiming that there was no running water and patients were not properly isolated at one of the city's isolation facilities.
Malabon Public Information Office head Bong Padua said the post was written to put the local government in a bad light.
"Mayroon kasing COVID-positive na babae doon. Ngayon 'yung boyfriend niya…nagpakuha ng picture, sabi, padala mo nga sa akin (There was a female COVID-19 patient there. Now, her boyfriend asked her to send a picture of where she was)," Padua explained.
"Wala naman daw sinasabi doon na walang tubig. Eh parang ginamit lang 'yun para makapag-post, tapos kinuha ng mga kalaban sa politika (There wasn't anything there that said there wasn't any water. The photo was just used for a social media post, but political enemies took and made use of it)," he added.
Padua was referring to a Facebook post by a certain "Garcia Denver" which read: "A friend sent me a photo and I was disgusted. This is how Malabon treats their COVID-19 patients. No proper isolation, patients are in the same room, no covers or tents, and sometimes weak to no water supply."
A photo taken at Malabon National High School and attached to the post showed some nine patients lying on folding beds without barriers between one another.
"May social distancing doon. Ang kinunan niya lang talaga ay 'yung lugar na tinanggal 'yung mga ano . ang paliwanag kasi ng doktor doon, doon sa lugar na 'yun, open 'yun kasi lahat sila doon asymptomatic (There was social distancing there. The person just took a photo of an area where the barriers had been removed. Also, the doctor there explained that the area was open because all of the persons there were asymptomatic)," Padua added.
In recent posts on Mayor Lenlen Oreta's Facebook page, the local government showed that it is continuously handing out care kits and nutritious foods to patients at its isolation facilities.