A video posted on Facebook is claiming that Sen. Risa Hontiveros wants condominiums built in areas where poor people live. This needs context.
Posted on Nov. 17, 2024, the video continues to gain interactions and was submitted for verification by a reader through the VERA Files’ Messenger Tip Line.
The spliced footage shows Hontiveros debating with Sen. Cynthia Villar about the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program, and the text overlaid on the video read:
“HontiVirus Insisted To Build Condo On The Land Where the Poor And Unfortunate
Situated”;
“Ano Kaya Meron, Dahil Ki’Kita Sa Contractor, Supal’pal si Risa Kay Madam Sen. Cynthia Villar.
(What’s going on? Because she’ll earn from the contractor. Madam Sen. Cynthia Villar takes down Risa.)”
A portion of the manipulated footage highlighted Villar’s remark to insinuate that Hontiveros would be making money from the contractors thus her insistence on building condominiums for the poor.
“Why will you insist on building condominium? Dahil kikita ka do’n sa contractor ng condominium, na may porsyento ka doon kaya pinag-i-insist mo ‘yung condominium?”
(Because you’ll earn from the contractor of the condominium? Because you’ll get a percentage from that, so you keep on insisting on the condominium?)
Nowhere in the edited video is there a clip of Hontiveros identifying a specific location where poor folks live that would be allotted for condominiums.
Villar pushed back on Hontiveros, asking where the poor would go if a condominium were built on the land where they are settled.
“Ang konsepto po ng department sa 4PH and with government guarantee ay ‘yung mismong informal settlers na nandoon sa isang lupa… (The concept of the department with the 4PH with government guarantee is the informal settlers themselves who live on the land…)” Hontiveros replied before Villar interrupted her mid-sentence.
The clip further edited out Hontiveros’ explanation about subsidies for 4PH beneficiaries to minimize monthly mortgage payments and that other forms of housing programs will continue.
Villar was insisting that land, not houses, should be given to informal settlers who should pay a lower mortgage.
Sentiments online were divided under headlines focusing on Villar saying, “So why are we providing houses for the middle class? They can buy from others because they can afford it.”
One netizen commented that the “middle class pays income tax and deserves more benefits from the government.”
The spliced video of Facebook user Paradji Sam (created Sept. 18, 2009) garnered 1.8 million views, 28,000 reactions and 4,200 comments as of writing.
