A Facebook user posted a video showing an influx of people supposedly calling for the resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co. This is false.
The video showed devotees, pilgrims and visitors flocking to Naga City, Camarines Sur for the 2025 Traslacion procession of the images of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, the patroness of the Bicol Region, and El Divino Rostro or the Face of Jesus, on Sept. 12.
The video with false context, uploaded on Sept. 14, bore an overlaid text that read:
“Sigaw ng Taong Bayan Marcos Resign
MARTIN ROMUALDEZ ZALDY CO Resign
Gulong gulo na Ang Pilipinas Nasaan Ang president walang Action
(Cry of the people: Marcos resign
Martin Romualdez, Zaldy Co resign
The Philippines is in chaos. Where is the president? No action)”
Its caption stated:
“Share kulang. Sa nangyari ngayun nasaan na kaya SI PBBM. (Just sharing. With what happened today, where could PBBM be?)”
A reverse image search reveals that the video was originally published by radio station DZRH News on Sept. 12, showing devotees passing by the Peñafrancia Avenue during the Traslacion procession in Naga City.
The inaccurate post surfaced following widespread protests across Metro Manila on Sept. 12 and 13 where students, activists and other rallyists denounced corruption in government projects, particularly those involving flood control structures.
In a Sept. 15 press conference, Marcos said he does not blame the public for staging demonstrations against the massive corruption in government, adding, “If I [weren’t] president, I might be out on the streets with them.”
In the same briefing, the president assured the public that Romualdez, his first cousin, and other allies in the House of Representatives and the Senate “will not be spared” from the investigation by the newly formed Independent Commission for Infrastructure.
Under Executive Order No. 94, the ICI is mandated to investigate anomalies, irregularities and misuse of funds in government flood control and other infrastructure projects within the last decade.
During the Sept. 8 Senate hearing, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco claimed that Co, former chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, was the proponent of some P13.8 billion worth of insertions for flood control and other infrastructure projects in the 2025 budget.
In the same congressional probe, contractor-couple Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II and Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya, in their sworn statement, alleged that Romualdez and Co were mentioned to them by one politician and some officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways in relation to obtaining kickbacks from infrastructure projects.
However, Curlee Discaya clarified during the Sept. 9 House hearing that he did not have any personal transactions with the two lawmakers. Romualdez and Co have both denied the accusations of the Discaya couple.
Published by FB user Bo Yaks (created on April 11, 2023), the video has been viewed over 1.7 million times as of writing. It has so far garnered 42,400 reactions, 6,300 comments and 8,500 shares.
