Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque has threatened to file charges against people peddling fake news about him.
Roque issued the warning after denouncing a fabricated quote card that was being attributed to him on social media.
"Yung mga magkakalat ng fake news, sasampolan ko po kayo. Paimbestigahan ko kayo at ako po ay magsasampa ng kaso, antayin ninyo po iyan (I will make a sample out of those spreading fake news. I will have you investigated and I will file a case. Just wait for it)," he said during a televised briefing from Davao City.
"Pero sa panahon ng pandemya, iyong mga walang magawa, huwag na po kayong magkalat ng fake news (But in this time of pandemic, to those who have nothing to do, please do not spread fake news)," he said.
Roque recently became a subject of a false quote card that was manipulated from the original card made by the Manila Bulletin.
The fake quote card read: "Covid lang yan, kaunti lang namamatay, kahit umabot pa ng 10 million ang infected sa Pinas, walang mawawala sa atin, siguro 10 thousand lang ang patay. Be thankful instead, kasi ang Pangulo natin ay hindi nahahawaan. Kaya blessed pa rin tayo."
The Manila Bulletin has issued a clarification to warn the public about the social media card with a fake quote from Roque. The original Manila Bulletin quote card was placed side by side with the fabricated card to caution the public.
In his remarks Tuesday, Roque cited the Manila Bulletin’s effort to call out the fake news.
"May lumabas pong fake news tungkol sa akin sa isang pahayagan. Well, sinabi naman po ng pahayagan na fake news talaga iyon (There was fake news about me in a newspaper. Well, the newspaper has branded it as fake news),” he said.
Roque denied issuing a statement downplaying the country's death toll.
"Hindi ko po sinabi iyon. Ang sinabi ko po ay ibang-iba ‘no. At mag-ingat po tayo sa mga fake news (I did not say that. What I said was very different. Let us be careful about fake news)," he said.
The Palace also urged the public to check the official social media pages of the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson and the Presidential Communications Operations Office for verified information or announcement.