A reel is circulating on Facebook and Tiktok claiming that Catholic priest and Ramon Magsaysay 2025 awardee Fr. Flavie Villanueva suggested that selling illegal drugs is a solution to poverty and unemployment. This needs context.
The lines featured in the clip were spliced from a Nov. 22, 2025 online video interview with Villanueva. These do not include the complete statement and its context. Fr. Flavie, speaking to VERA Files Fact Check, said the footage was disinformation meant to besmirch his reputation.
First published by a FB user on Feb. 24, the reel had text on top and bottom of the thumbnail which read:
“Father, gusto mo bang gawing ADIK ang lahat ng pilipino
Ano ito Father, pino promote mo na okay maging adik
(Father, do you want to make addicts of all Filipinos
What is this Father, you’re promoting that it’s okay to be an addict)?”
The 45-second clip had the human rights advocate saying:
“May mga kilala ako, nagbebenta ng tatlong sachet, kasi ang kita sa bawat sachet ay singkwenta pesos times three, that’s 150. Pambaon po nila… pambaon na binibigay sa mga anak. So, hindi talaga siya usaping pang-drug addict [kundi] usaping pang tawid sa kahirapan para sa edukasyon ng anak dahil wala ngang pagkakataon.
(I know people who sell three sachets [of drugs], because the profit per sachet is P50; times three, that’s P150. That’s the school allowance they give to their children. It’s not really an issue of drug addiction, but rather a matter of trying to survive poverty so they can support their children’s education, because they don’t have opportunities).”
The clip was later cross-posted on Tiktok, Instagram, and YouTube with this comment from a netizen:
“So, pwede na pala ako magbenta ng droga tapos sabihin ko pang-tuition lang ng anak ko, ganun po ba Father?
(So, does that mean I can sell drugs and then say it’s only for my child’s tuition — is that how it works, Father?)”
The complete interview was published by Linya-Linya — a local lifestyle brand and media platform known for its humor, content on Philippine culture and social commentary — in its episode 381 posted last November.
In answering the host’s question [time stamp 22:15] about his past substance abuse, the priest shared his observations and interaction with people in marginalized communities who turned to peddling drugs for their daily needs. Only this portion was lifted from the interview and made to appear as a suggested solution to poverty by Fr. Villanueva.
In his interview with VERA Files Fact Check, Fr. Flavie said he would no longer engage with online attacks from hyperpartisan accounts and pages that spread false information about him.
The post circulated while the International Criminal Court was conducting the confirmation of charges hearing against former president Rodrigo Duterte in February which increased attention to drug-war related narratives.
Published by an FB user, and pages Azares Azares (created Aug. 10, 2020), Malditang Ina (created July 30, 2019), RMN DXPR Pagadian 603 (creation date not visible to public), and several other FB accounts, the post has collectively garnered over 215,997 reactions; 73,148 comments; and 55,413 shares.
