A Facebook page posted a photo of congressmen Erwin Tulfo (ACT-CIS Partylist) and Richard Gomez (Leyte, 4th District), claiming the two argued after the latter accidentally exposed a secret government-backed income program during a plenary session. This is false.
Published on May 5, the post alleged that the income program, accessible only to government insiders and select elites, allows users to earn between Php 15,000 and Php 30,000 per month.
Packaged like a news report, the fake post bore a caption that read:
“SHOCKER IN PARLIAMENT: Richard Gomez Accidentally Reveals SECRET Way Filipinos Can Make Money — LIVE During Fight with Erwin Tulfo! “
Tulfo and Gomez did not argue over such an income program.
The photo was a screenshot from a House of Representatives session on Dec. 16, 2024, where the two were in a heated argument over the amendment of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2022.
In the original video, Tulfo proposed prohibiting media personnel from covering anti-drug operations to ensure safety and balanced reporting. However, Gomez insisted the matter had been tackled at the committee level and should be left to the Senate to approve the amendment.
No income program was discussed during the proceedings. The digital investment scheme mentioned in the fake post refers to Gainify Leader, a cryptocurrency website.
To make the fake post appear legitimate, a link to a website impersonating the media outlet ABS-CBN was added.
The latter part of the article also contains fabricated interviews of Tulfo supposedly endorsing Gainify Leader. However, no official records of such an endorsement exist on Tulfo’s social media accounts.
The erroneous post emerged a week before the May 12 midterm elections, where Tulfo is running for a senate seat and Gomez is seeking re-election as Leyte’s 4th District Representative. It has since earned 195 reactions, 11 shares, and 5 comments.