At least three Facebook posts are claiming that Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said vloggers will have to seek government permission to be able to extend assistance to the public. This is fake.
The post published on July 27 contains a graphic with a photo of Castro and a fake quote attributed to her:
“Bawal na ang mga vloggers na deriktang tumulong sa taumbayan, dapat may basbas muna ito sa gobyerno.
(Vloggers are no longer allowed to provide direct assistance to the public; they must first get government approval).”
The accompanying caption of the post reads:
“VLOGGERS URGED TO COORDINATE WITH GOVERNMENT BEFORE PROVIDING DIRECT AID TO PUBLIC, SAYS USEC. CLAIRE CASTRO
A statement from Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro went viral after she said that vloggers who provide direct assistance to citizens should coordinate with the government first.
Castro emphasized that government agencies should be given the opportunity to respond and provide support to people in need.”
Another FB post published on the same date was paired with a caption asking for the public’s opinion.
Neither Castro nor the Presidential Communications Office has made any statement banning vloggers from doing charitable work or requiring special government permission to extend assistance to the public.
The Philippine government has no policy requiring vloggers to seek government authorization before they could give out assistance to the public.
Private donations using one’s own funds are governed by the Articles 725 to 773 of the Civil Code of the Philippines. Under the law, any person with the capacity to contract and dispose of their property may freely donate personal money or goods to another person.
Under Presidential Decree No. 1564, a permit from the Department of Social Welfare and Development is required only when soliciting, collecting, or asking for contributions from the general public for a charitable cause.
The fake post surfaced after a fabricated quote attributed to Castro also circulated on July 20, claiming that she criticized actress and social media influencer Ivana Alawi for helping, stating that it is the president’s job.
Posted by Facebook page Panda Reports with 202,000 followers and other Facebook users, the posts have so far collectively garnered 43,804 reactions, 4,197 comments, and 1,365 shares.
