A YouTube video and several Facebook posts are claiming that Sen. Rodante Marcoleta has supposedly returned as chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. This is not true.
There are no such reports from credible media organizations nor in the Senate’s news archives about Marcoleta’s alleged comeback to the position.
Originally published by a YouTube channel on Oct. 16, the almost one-hour video bore a text on its thumbnail that read:
“SENADO BUMALEKTAD BALIK BLUE RIBBON SI MARCOLETA GOODNEWS! MAGTAGUMPAY KA SANA! MGA SENADOR NAG MOSYON NA?
(The Senate reversed its decision. Marcoleta is back in the Blue Ribbon Committee. Good news! Wishing you success! Senators already filed a motion?)”
At least two FB pages and two users reposted the thumbnail with the untrue claim. The two pages attached a link to an advertisement-filled website to their posts, where the original spurious YouTube video is embedded.
The YouTube video merely cited an Oct. 14 political video commentary posted by former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez about the Marcos administration and the ongoing investigation by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure into the alleged anomalous flood control projects.
Nowhere in the video did Rodriguez mention the return of Marcoleta as the Blue Ribbon Committee chair.
Since Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson resigned as chairperson of the powerful Blue Ribbon Committee on Oct. 6, the committee’s vice chair, Sen. Erwin Tulfo, has been designated as the acting chairman of the panel.
In his resignation letter dated Oct. 7, Lacson, who replaced Marcoleta as Senate Blue Ribbon chair in September, cited that several senators had expressed disappointment with the “direction” of the committee’s ongoing probe into the flood control corruption mess.
However, weeks after Lacson stepped down from the post, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said in an Oct. 21 media interview that he was 100% certain that Senate President Pro Tempore would be back as chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee.
When asked about Lacson’s expected comeback, Sotto said, “We’ll probably do it in a caucus. But by Nov. 10, we can make it official.” The chamber is on a month-long break and will resume session on Nov. 10.
VERA Files has previously fact-checked a false claim related to Marcoleta. (READ: FACT CHECK: Marcoleta NOT among senators tagged in kickbacks from flood control)
Uploaded by YouTube channel PINAS NEWS INSIDER (created on Dec. 26, 2015), the inaccurate video has so far garnered 121,391 views, 10,000 reactions and 960 comments. The reposts on FB, including the ones republished by Tatay Digong – Unofficial (Sept. 21, 2016) and Duterte Active Supporters (Nov. 14, 2017) have collectively received 2,389 reactions, 705 comments and 183 shares.
