A fake advisory supposedly from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announcing the suspension of all vape brands except one is circulating online.
The bogus advisory bore logos of DTI and the Marcos campaign Bagong Pilipinas and states that all vape brands aside from “X-Vape” are subject to sale, trade and license suspension.
It carried the text:
“Pursuant to Executive Order No. 913 (1983), the Department of Trade and Industry SUSPENDS THE SALE, TRADE, AND PS LICENSE (if issued) of all vape products of: All Brands Except X- Vape.
Formal charges have been filed against the manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers of these products for violation of Sec. 4(d) (No Tax Stamps) of Republic Act No. 11900, or the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act.”
It also listed penalties for offenders, such as fines ranging from P2 to 5 million and the cancellation of their business permits and licenses. Ten such posts on Facebook (FB) have been flagged by VERA Files Fact Check since Sept. 11.
On Sept. 20, the DTI released an advisory warning the public about the fake advisory. It read, in part:
“The Department of Trade and Industry issues this advisory to warn the public against the circulation of fake posts and the unauthorized use of the agency’s name and logo. The public is advised to stay vigilant and only refer to posts and announcements from official DTI channels and social media pages.”
The fake advisory is a manipulated version of DTI’s graphics template for announcing vape product suspensions (like the one used here).
The text “All Brands Except X- Vape” was overlaid on the names of the actual suspended products.
Vape shops online used the fake “DTI” graphic to sell products, while other netizens expressed worry and criticized the agency for supposedly favoring one brand.
The manipulated graphic circulated the same day the DTI issued an advisory against four vape brands, and said that it has filed charges against these for violating the law regulating vape products.
Make sure to check official sources before sharing posts online. VERA Files Fact Check has debunked other fake graphics that claim to be issued by other government agencies.
