A graphic post circulating on Facebook is claiming that Surigao del Norte Rep. Bernadette Barbers is backing the oil price hike to ease traffic in her province. This is fake.
Two FB pages published the same quote card just hours apart on March 25, featuring a photo of the congresswoman supposedly saying:
“Tama lang siguro na tumaas ang Gasolina para mabawasan ang traffic dito sa Surigao. Maglakad nalang kasi kayo, dami niyo pang arte, sakit kayo sa ulo.
(It’s probably good that fuel prices increased to reduce traffic here in Surigao. Just walk, you’re being dramatic and you’re giving me a headache).”
In an FB post, the congresswoman disowned the quote card and affixed a “FAKE NEWS” stamp to the graphic.
Barbers said, “Walang katapusang fake news (Never ending fake news).”
Part of the caption claimed that the lawmaker defended her brother-in-law, Surigao del Norte Gov. Lyndon Barbers, who supposedly said during a provincial council session that the oil price hike is normal and people should not demand a wage hike from the Marcos administration.
The governor set the record straight in a post on FB saying, “The fake news said that I made the statement after the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Regular Session on Monday. At that time, I was not even in Surigao; I was in Siargao inspecting projects in Burgos.”
The fake graphic circulated after President Ferdinand Marcos declared a state of national energy emergency on March 24 to address the country’s energy supply issues caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The FB pages are known to spread false information about local politicians in Surigao.
The posts by FB page Anonymous Surigao (created March 5, 2024) and Surigao Media (created Sept. 24, 2019) have collectively garnered 1,163 reactions; 8,804 comments; and 2,266 shares.
