Netizens are circulating a clip from a campaign rally in Quiapo, Manila showing Vice President Sara Duterte before a crowd who was supposedly chanting “Marcos! Marcos!” while she was speaking. The posts are misleading.
Several Facebook (FB) and TikTok users posted the video after Duterte’s April 25 appearance at a campaign sortie of mayoral candidate Isko Moreno Domagoso and his slate. In the circulating clips, Duterte can be seen taking jabs at Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua when the crowd supposedly chanted “Marcos! Marcos!.”
An FB reel carried the text:
“HINDI MO KAYANG ITAOB NG MARCOS SA MANILA FT MARCOS! MARCOS ANG SIGAW NG MANILA. FYI MANILA IS MARCOS COUNTRY DAHIL SA MGA PABAHAY NG MARCOS SINCE APO LAKAY
(YOU CAN’T TOPPLE THE MARCOSES IN MANILA. MANILA STILL SHOUTS FOR MARCOS. FYI MANILA IS MARCOS COUNTRY BECAUSE OF THE HOUSING PROJECTS OF THE MARCOSES SINCE APO LAKAY).”
A TikTok post showing a similar video clip had subtitles of what the crowd was supposedly chanting, such as “Marcos,” “Lutang (absent-minded),” “Inday sayad (crazy),” and “Inday magnanakaw (thief).”
A clearer livestream from news organization Rappler of the April 25 campaign rally in Quiapo shows supporters chanting “Apol,” referring to Councilor Johanna Maureen “Apple” C. Nieto-Rodriguez, who is running against Chua, the target of Duterte’s tirades in her speech.
Another netizen uploaded a video from the same event and no “Marcos” chants can be heard during any part of the speech.
The clips with misleading captions and subtitles circulated a day after the campaign sortie where Duterte fired at Chua, the chairperson of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability that investigated the alleged irregularities in Duterte’s questionable spending of confidential funds in the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. The probe led to Duterte’s impeachment by the House in February.
VERA Files has debunked other election-related mis- and disinformation as the country heads to the midterm polls on May 12.
Misleading posts from two FB users collectively garnered 4,000 reactions; 2,102 comments; 2,060 shares; and 316,000 views. Two TikTok posts of user @boytactics030 received 3,949 reactions; 1,238 comments; 192 shares; and 137,504 views.
