Two photos circulating online claim to show Sen. Risa Hontiveros and Catholic priest Fr. Flaviano “Flavie” Villanueva looking supposedly at a sculpture on display of Kian Delos Santos, who was killed during a drug war operation in 2017. This is fake.
On Jan. 28, a Facebook user published a photo of Hontiveros and Villanueva, among other people, taking a look at an alleged sculpture labeled as “ST. KIAN DELOS SANTOS.” The image included a superimposed text that read:
“BREAKING NEWS! “ADIK MUSEUM” IS NOW OPEN! Hindi mapigilan ni Risa Honti-Virus at ni Pader Flavie na maiyak pati mga kasama Niya ng makita ang rebulto na ito sa Museum na pinagawa Nila -Adik Museum-
(“BREAKING NEWS! “ADIK MUSEUM” IS NOW OPEN! Risa Honti-Virus and Pader Flavie couldn’t help but cry as did her companions when they saw this statue at the museum they had built -Adik Museum-)”
Another photo was uploaded by an FB account on Jan. 29, showing a different sculpture of Delos Santos dressed as a saint. The spurious post was accompanied by a caption stating:
“Risha na-excite sa ginawa nyang St.Runner na request ng taongbayan
(Risha was excited about the St. Runner she created as requested by the people).”
A reverse image search led to a photo published by Inquirer.net on Jan. 26 showing Hontiveros and Villanueva, along with others on the scene, looking at a child’s shirt, not a sculpture. It also does not show a child peeking at a sculpture, contrary to one of the fake photos.
On Jan. 30, Villanueva debunked the fake images on his official Facebook page and urged the public to “discern and fact-check.”
The altered photo surfaced two days after the launch of an exhibit by the Paghilom Lakbay Museo at the Senate. The opening was led by Hontiveros and Sen. Bam Aquino IV.
The mobile exhibit is dedicated to victims of extrajudicial killings during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs campaign.
The brutal killing of 17-year-old Delos Santos caused national outrage and resulted in the murder conviction of three police officers, who were each sentenced to up to 40 years in prison.
As of writing, the fake photo, posted by FB user Siklistang Marinero earned 30,000 reactions; 6,600 comments; and 766 shares. Another image shared by FB user Carl Mike Mallerna Cid, has so far garnered 146,000 reactions; 29,400 comments; and 7,200 shares.
