A Facebook page notorious for fabricating quote cards is claiming that Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña was dismayed by the low visitor turnout at the Lakbay Museo ng Paghilom, a mobile museum dedicated to the stories of victims of extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. This is fake and has been debunked by the lawmaker.
Published on Feb. 14, the post featured a graphic with Cendaña photos and text that reads:
“‘Kumuha pa kami sa kaban ng bayan para maipatayo ito’ Rep. Perci Cendaña nadismaya sa kaunting bisita ng EJK Museum
(We even used public funds to build this.” Rep. Perci Cendaña is disappointed by the low visitor turnout at the EJK Museum)”
The FB page attached a link in its comment section leading netizens to a supposed news article about Cendaña’s alleged statement on an unverified website with the domain name showbizness.net.
In a Feb. 15 advisory, the Akbayan lawmaker dismissed the claim as ” fake news,” asking the public to report the page.
According to media reports, the Lakbay Museo ng Paghilom was an initiative under Program Paghilom, founded in 2017 by Catholic priest Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, a 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee.
Program Paghilom is a Church-based initiative that offered legal and psychosocial interventions to bereaved families of EJKs during the drug war of now detained former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing three counts of crimes against humanity (murder and attempted murder) before the International Criminal Court. It later expanded to include exhumation, autopsy and cremation of victims.
The Lakbay Museo ng Paghilom is the country’s first mobile museum centered on the stories of victims and families affected by EJKs.
While several lawmakers have supported the exhibit during its launch at the House of Representatives on Dec. 9, 2025 and in the Senate on Jan. 26, there are no credible reports or official records to confirm that government funds were used to build the mobile museum, contrary to what the FB page claimed.
The Paghilom mobile museum arrived at San Beda University—Duterte’s alma mater—on Feb. 23, coinciding with the first day of the ex-president’s confirmation of charges hearing at the ICC. The organizers said they are planning to bring the exhibit to the Supreme Court.
VERA Files has previously debunked claims related to the mobile museum and Villanueva, spread by the same FB page, Pinoy Celebrity News (created on June 21, 2017). (READ: FACT CHECK: Hontiveros did NOT cry over ‘addict museum’ tag, FACT CHECK: Fr. Flavie Villanueva quote card on drug use NEEDS CONTEXT)
As of writing, the viral made-up quote has amassed over 48,000 reactions; 11,000 comments and 732 shares.
