A graphic circulating online claims former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. tagged Vice President Sara Duterte as the “mastermind” behind the massive corruption related to flood control projects in the country. This is fake.
Originally published by a TikTok user on Jan. 20, the graphic featured photos of Remulla and Duterte along with the GMA News TV name and logo. The text in the poster read:
“DATING SENADOR RAMON “BONG” REVILLA JR., SUMUKO NA SA PULISYA AT ITINURO SI VP SARA BILANG MASTERMIND NG KURAPSYON SA FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS!
(Former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. has surrendered to the police and identified Vice President Sara as the mastermind behind corruption in flood control projects).”
Several FB users and pages reposted the fraudulent news card on the same day.
GMA Integrated News posted an advisory on its official Facebook page describing the graphic “fake news.”
VERA Files reached out on Jan. 21 to Raffy Jimenez, managing editor of GMA News Online, to seek a statement on the graphic with the untrue claim. On the same day, GMA Integrated News issued an advisory, warning the public about the “fake poster that uses the logo of GMA News TV.”
GMA Integrated News advised people to “be cautious and discerning about fake news” and avoid spreading it on social media.
While it is true that Revilla surrendered to authorities, there are no public statements or posts on his official FB page to substantiate the claim that he called Duterte the “mastermind” behind the country’s flood control anomalies. A cursory search of the entire claim also shows no credible media organization reported on it.
The fake graphic surfaced after Revilla, who was among those implicated in the anomalous flood control scandal, “voluntarily surrendered” to the Philippine National Police on Jan. 19.
Earlier that day, the Sandiganbayan Third Division released warrants of arrest and hold departure orders against Revilla and six other individuals for malversation charges over an alleged P92.8-million ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.
First published by user politoks.1, the TikTok video carrying the fake news card has so far received 2,578 engagements and 184,900 views. The posts of six users who reuploaded the poster on FB have collectively amassed 228,563 reactions and 50,021 comments, as well as 3,573 shares as of writing.
