Multiple postings of a fabricated advisory from “ABS-CBN” have been circulating on social media since March 25, claiming the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) over the whole of Luzon has been extended until May.
The fake posts, published by at least five netizens, manipulated a copy of a graphic uploaded March 16 on the media network’s official Facebook (FB) page. It originally read: “President Duterte declares enhanced community quarantine in entire Luzon.”
The phrase “until May 2020. Indefinitely” was spuriously photoshopped in the fake version.
To date, there have been no official announcements on any extension of the current quarantine in Luzon, which President Rodrigo Duterte imposed on March 16.
The ECQ will take effect until April 12, 2020, “unless earlier lifted or extended depending as circumstances may warrant,” according to Proclamation No. 929 issued by the Office of the President placing the whole country under a state of public health emergency because of COVID-19.
In a DZMM interview on March 27, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles clarified that there is no extended lockdown and called the circulating posts “fake news.” He also reminded the public to only rely on information about such announcements from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the health department or the president himself.
ABS-CBN also published March 25 a warning on FB saying the announcement was a “fake,” and told netizens to “be mindful of false information.”
The fake Facebook posts collectively garnered almost 750 shares and over 200 reactions.
(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
