An impostor of presidential broadcasting channel Radio Television Malacanang published on July 29 a misleading report that claims four Roman Catholic bishops facing sedition complaints will “soon” be imprisoned, while advertising its “Duterte products.”
YouTube channel MALACANANG TV uploaded a video with the headline, “APAT NA 0BlSP0 MALAPIT NG MAKUL0NG (Four bishops to be jailed soon).” The thumbnail used in the clip carried the text “Mga dilawang obispo kulong (Yellow bishops imprisoned).” “Yellow” is a colloquial term for members and supporters of the opposition Liberal Party.
MALACANANG TV’s footage, which was manipulated, does not reflect its headline.
The copycat YouTube channel combined the following media:
- an image of Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of the Cubao Archdiocese taken from a 2014 C! News magazine blog entry.
- two photos of Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani Jr. swiped from a 2018 post on the Archdiocese of Manila website and a January 2019 ABS-CBN News report.
- a side-by-side image of Bishop Pablo David of the Caloocan Archdiocese and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas from a June 2019 article at the Union of Catholic Asian News website.
- a two-minute audio track cut from the 56-minute newscast that day of state-run radio show Radyo Pilipinas News Nationwide.
A segment in the Radyo Pilipinas newscast featuring the sedition complaint filed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) against 38 personalities, including four bishops, only spoke about Archdiocese of Cubao Vicar General Steven Zabala denouncing the sedition allegation against Ongtioco.
The phrase “Breaking News” was splashed across the lower part of the video and right under it, the prompt to buy their “Duterte products” via a link that takes viewers to a Lazada Philippines page selling a “President Rodrigo Duterte bobblehead Action Figure.”
MALACANANG TV’s misleading report surfaced less than two weeks after the PNP filed on July 18 sedition and other criminal charges against the four bishops, Vice President Leni Robredo, opposition senator Risa Hontiveros, the Otso Diretso senatorial slate and several other individuals over their alleged involvement in the publication of the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” video series earlier this year.
The erroneous report could have reached over 10,000 people. Traffic to the story from social media largely came from I’m a Filipino and my President is Duterte, and Overseas Filipino Workers United Duterte Supporters – OFWUDS.
MALACANANG TV, which has previously published a misleading video reviewed by VERA Files Fact Check, was created Nov. 26, 2017.
(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
