For certain social media personalities the posting of unverified claims online is somewhat justified for as long as you use the word “daw”, or purportedly in English.
We use the word 'daw': Bloggers justify practice of sharing unverified info
At a glance
For certain social media personalities the posting of unverified claims online is somewhat justified for as long as you use the word “daw”, or purportedly in English.
Bloggers Krizette Chu and MJ Quiambao Reyes--who have gained a massive following on Facebook as supporters of former president Duterte--believe there is nothing wrong with their social media posts because they are only expressing their sentiments and own views.
And if they use the word “daw", that supposedly excuses them from any responsibility to confirm the veracity of the information they share online.

"Mr. Chair, that's what I said. Kaya ako nag-include ng 'daw'--these were impressions. The fact sir that our PNP (Philippine National Police) had to write a press release, means kami na, hindi kami, wala kaming (it means that we don't have any) statistics. These were the impressionst hat were coming to us," Chu said after Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre called out one of her Facebook posts.
In the particular post, she claimed that there could be mass resignation—or resignation of many, as Chua put it—among police officers following the arrest by the Interpol of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Acidre countered Chu's claim by pointing out that the PNP itself confirmed there wasn't any mass resignation.
But Chu maintained that she was "speaking the truth of the impressions made on social media".
Meanwhile, Reyes was asked by Manila 6th district Rep. Benny Abante to explain how she came up with her claim that the extrajudicial killing (EJK) cases investigated by the House lawmakers and cited by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its crime against humanity charge against Duterte were “a massive hoax".
“It was my truth,” Reyes simply said.
"Those are my opinion. And nakabase naman din po 'yun sa mga available information. Ngayon, makikita po natin, na yun nga po, may mga EJK victims nga raw, na hindi naman pala (And this is based on the available information. Because what we hear—that there were supposedly EJK victims, but there were actually not)," Reyes added.
Pressed to provide her own proof, Reyes could not provide any; thus she was compelled to apologize for making unverified claims after she was threatened to be cited for contempt.
Abante said the problem with the vloggers was that they were posting an opinion, and they wanted their audience to believe that it was the truth.
"Next time, kayo mga vloggers, eh wag kayo magbibigay ng opinion lang, impression nyo (Next time, you, vloggers, should not just give out your opinion, your impression)," Abante said.
"Ibigay nyo yung katotohanan, na may documento kayo. Sapagkat kami may document to show.... I am insulted with your statement, being the chairman of the human rights (Show the truth. You should have your documents. Because we have documents to show)," he added.