Online disinformation was on high gear during the recently concluded midterm election. An example was a Facebook post about a fake award to a non-existent reporter for exposing the alleged corruption of Cagayan de Oro re-electionist mayor Oscar Moreno.
STATEMENT
Facebook page Global Transparency Network (GTN) in its May 11 post claimed its “Philippine Correspondent” won the gold medal in a so-called “Transparency Media” Awards. The recognition was supposedly for a six-minute video report enumerating alleged misconduct and corruption cases against Moreno.
It bore the headline “OSCAR MORENO: THE WORLD’S MOST CORRUPT MAYOR” with the caption:
“JUST IN: GTN’s Philippine Correspondent wins Gold Medal in Transparency Media Awards for ‘OSCAR MORENO: THE WORLD’S MOST CORRUPT MAYOR.’ 379 cases of graft and corruption totaling more than P1.3 Billion, plus identified as drug protector [sic] in this Southern Philippine city, Moreno is reporrted [sic] to be using hundreds of millions of stolen government funds to buy votes in his country’s upcoming elections.”
Source: Global Transparency Network Facebook page, OSCAR MORENO: THE WORLD’S MOST CORRUPT MAYOR, May 11, 2019
FACT
The Internet yielded no official records on both the GTN and the supposed media award. The closest online search results on the “Transparency Media Awards” is the Data Journalism Awards’ Media for Transparency, a recognition given to outstanding data-driven stories in Pakistan.
The page, which has now been taken down, appeared to have been created only last week. Its About page only said the GTN pushes for transparency in public service but carried no concrete information on how it does so. The video on Moreno was its only post. The name of its “correspondent” was also not disclosed.
Moreno is currently leading the poll count with 63% of the votes, according to the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting’s website, which carries data from the Commission on Elections’ transparency server.
He is up against former agriculture undersecretary Jose Gabriel “Pompee” La Viña, who was President Rodrigo Duterte’s social media director in his 2016 campaign. La Viña also served as Social Security System commissioner and tourism undersecretary.
Despite running under Duterte’s political party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), Moreno was called the “most anti-Duterte mayor in the whole Philippines” by La Viña.
Moreno is currently facing at least 13 charges of graft before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the rental of heavy equipment he approved allegedly without proper bidding during his term as Misamis Oriental governor.
A few days leading up to the May 13 polls, he became a victim of another fake post alleging that he was disqualified by the Commission on Elections. (See Comelec disqualification order vs. CDO mayor Oscar Moreno spurious by MindaNews for Tsek.ph)
Sources
Global Transparency Network Facebook page, OSCAR MORENO: THE WORLD’S MOST CORRUPT MAYOR, May 11, 2019
GEN Data Journalism Awards, Media for Transparency
Media Matters for Democracy, Media for Transparency
Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, REGION X – MAYOR – MISAMIS ORIENTAL – CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Retrieved May 16, 2019
Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting’s website which carries data from the Commission on Elections’ transparency server.
ABS-CBN News, #HalalanResults: Duterte’s former ‘social media strategist’ loses mayoral bid in CDO, May 16, 2019
MindaNews, Moreno leads by wide margin in De Oro race, May 15, 2019
Pompee La Vina official Twitter account, COC signed & sealed, Oct. 16, 2018
SunStar SUPERBALITA CDO, Pompee gitawag nga most-anti Duterte si Moreno, Oct. 18, 2018
Rappler.com, Pompee La Vina running vs. Cagayan de Oro’s ‘most anti-Duterte mayor’, Oct. 18, 2018
Rappler.com, ‘Most anti-Duterte mayor’ wins 3rd term in Cagayan de Oro City, May 16, 2019
Ombudsman.gov.ph, CDO mayor, 4 others face new graft charge, March 16, 2018
Inquirer.net, De Oro mayor arraigned, Dec. 9, 2018
Philippine News Agency, CDO mayor sees arraignment as chance to clear his name, Dec. 9, 2018
SunStar Cagayan de Oro, Oscar Moreno awaits trial of graft charges, Dec. 9, 2018
Sb.judiciary.gov.ph, SB-18-CRM-0496-0497, April 29, 2019
Mindanews for Tsek.ph, Comelec disqualification order vs. Oscar Moreno spurious, May 11, 2019
SunStar Cagayan de Oro, News on Oro mayor’s disqualification fake, May 10, 2019
Mindanao Daily, Oca lawyer brands as fake document purporting Moreno disqualification, May 10, 2019
Rappler.com, Duterte transfers Pompee La Viña to Department of Agriculture, June 7, 2018
CNN Philippines, Duterte appoints former SSS Commissioner to Tourism, April 25, 2018
Rappler.com, Rappler Talk: Did Duterte’s campaign team work with Cambridge Analytica, April 12, 2018
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