Quote cards circulating online claim that Cagayan de Oro Rep. Lordan Suan said he is banning Muslims from working as vendors at public markets in the city. He made no such remarks.
VERA Files Fact Check found four different quote cards attributing anti-Muslim sentiments to Suan. They originated from two Facebook pages. A reader sent one of the cards to the VERA Files Misinformation Tip Line for verification.
The first quote card, posted on May 23, attributed the following statement to Suan:
“KANING MGA MARANA /MUSLIM, DAPAT NANI SILA ІРАРАНАWA SA COGON. SILA ANG GADALA UG KAGUBOT UG KAHUGAW SA PALIBOT. CDO MUST BE A MUSLIM-FREE CITY (THESE MARANAO/MUSLIMS, THEY SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM COGON. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO BRING CHAOS AND DISTURBANCE AROUND. CDO MUST BE A MUSLIM-FREE CITY).”
The second quote, also posted on May 23, read:
“I WILL PROPOSE A LAW IN CONGRESS PROHIBITING MUSLIM VENDORS FROM SELLING AND OPERATING IN ALL PUBLIC MARKETS IN CAGAYAN DE ORO. KASAGARA NILA ANA, DILI TAGA DIRI (MOST OF THEM ARE NOT FROM HERE).”
Two more quote cards, uploaded on May 27, were presented as Eid al-Adha greetings from the lawmaker. The graphics bore the same quote:
“Eid Al-Adha Mubarak. GREETINGS SAATONG IGSOON NGA MGA MUSLIM. ENJOY SA INYONG MALIPAYON NGA ADLAW KAY HAPIT NAMO MUHAWA SA COGON MARKET (GREETINGS TO OUR MUSLIM BROTHERS. ENJOY YOUR HAPPY DAY AS WE ARE ABOUT TO REMOVE YOU FROM COGON MARKET).”
These quotes are fabricated. No national nor local paper has quoted Suan making such controversial remarks.
In a May 26 email to VERA Files, the congressman’s office said the quote cards were fake and did not come from Suan.
“We emphasize that these claims do not reflect the views, statements, or official position of Congressman Suan. Any official message or public pronouncement from the Congressman is released solely through his verified and authorized communication channels,” Suan’s office wrote.
On May 27, Suan’s official FB page also posted advisories warning the public about the fake remarks and other disinformation targeting the legislator.
The fake quote cards originated from two FB pages which have a history of posting disinformation related to the congressman.
Suan has been a frequent target of online disinformation recently. VERA Files has debunked fake statements attributed to the legislator, most of which concern the impeachment of his fellow Mindanaoan, Vice President Sara Duterte. He is among the 11 House prosecutors handling Duterte’s impeachment case.
The fake quote cards circulated four days after House impeachment prosecutors held a press conference where they also debunked impeachment-related false claims circulating online.
Four posts from the FB pages CDO Local News (created on May 12) and Birada Kagay-an (created on Jan. 23, 2025) collectively received 1,565 reactions, 1,181 comments and 509 shares. Other FB pages and users have since reposted copies of the fake quote cards.
