Stop spreading fake news.
This was the message of Senator Christopher “Bong’’ Go to those spreading "malicious and baseless" reports that President Duterte was airlifted from Davao City to Singapore over the weekend due to a medical emergency.
Go, former Special Assistant to the President, said the President has been working and is in Davao exercising his duties as President of the Republic.
“In fact, halos ay wala nga pong pahinga ang ating Pangulo dahil nga mino-monitor niya ang sitwasyon,” Go said in a TV interview. (In fact, he is working non-stop, monitoring the situation.)
“Bagama’t kailangan niya rin pong umuwi ng Davao upang tingnan na rin po ang sitwasyon sa Mindanao ay makikita ninyo po na kagabi ay napaka-healthy naman po ni Pangulo. Bagama’t 75 years old na po ‘yon ay talagang kayod kalabaw pa rin ‘yan para makapagserbisyo sa kapwa Pilipino,” he said. (Although he needs to go back to Davao for him to monitor the situation in Mindanao, you saw last Monday that he is healthy. Although he is 75 years old, he works like a carabao just to be of service to our countrymen.)
Last Monday, Go released a photo of the President dining with his family in their home in Davao City. He also posted a live video on Facebook of Duterte before a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. also refuted the reports. He assured the public that there had been no medical emergency and the President has not left Davao. Instead, various precautions have been taken to ensure his health and safety.
Later in the IATF meeting, President Duterte denied reports of him leaving the country and stressed that a “leader will always stay during a crisis.”
“Alam ninyo po sa mga gumagawa ng fake news, dapat managot talaga kayo,” Go said. (To those who are spreading fake news, you will be held accountable.)
“Okay lang po ‘yung i-criticize ninyo po ang Pangulo. Okay lang po i–criticize ninyo kami kung mayroon kaming trabaho na dapat ayusin, at kung makakatulong naman po ‘yung pag-criticize ninyo. Very much welcome po 'yon sa amin bilang public officials. Karapatan ninyo pong i-criticize kami para i-improve pa po ang aming serbisyo para sa inyo,” he added. (It is ok for you to criticize the President. It is ok if you criticize us if there are things to be fixed, particularly when your criticism is constructive. As public officials, we welcome such criticisms. It is your right to criticize us to improve our services to you.)
Go, chairman of the Senate Health and Demography Committee, expressed his dismay over inaccurate reports of the President’s health that keep circulating which could create panic and worsen the ongoing crisis.
He also encouraged the public to be vigilant with the information they receive and always validate the accuracy of these reports.
“ pagpapakalat ninyo ng fake news, isipin ninyo po may tatay rin kayo, may mga anak rin po kayo, eh kung ginawa po ‘yun sa tatay ninyo, sasabihin ganito na po ang nangyari may sakit, mamamatay na po, ‘di ba kayo masasaktan? Bilang isang tatay natin si Tatay Digong, nabalitaan ninyo nasa Singapore na daw nagkakasakit. Marami pong Filipino ang nababahala, eh dagdag kalbaryo po ito sa problema na kinakaharap na nga natin ngayon,” he said. (To those spreading fake news, remember that you also have fathers and children. Supposing these people also spread fake news about your father, saying your father is sick and he has passed away, would you not get hurt? As a father, Tatay Digong (President Duterte)….you are saying that he is in Singapore, sick. Many Filipinos are apprehensive. It is an added burden to the problems we are facing now.)
“Nandirito na nga tayo sa krisis na hinaharap natin ay bibigyan ninyo pa ng problema ‘yung Pilipino at mag-aalala pa sila dahil kung ano na po ang nangyari daw sa kanilang Tatay Digong. Pakiusap na lang po, magtulungan na lang tayo. Huwag tayong magpakalat ng mga fake news diyan. Hindi talaga ito nakakatulong,’’ he said. (We are in a crisis and you are adding problems to Filipinos who are apprehensive of what had happened to Tatay Digong. Please, we have to help one another. Don’t spread fake news. It is not helping in any way.)