A TikTok video with over 9,000 views is misleading netizens by associating the late president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III with the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
Replying to a netizen’s comment saying Aquino “did nothing for the country,” the pro-Uniteam TikTok account @philippinearmy01 spliced together three clips. It showed the following:
- NPA guerillas marching, with an inset showing Aquino and the text “Aquino administration”;
- Philippine Army soldiers marching in formation, with an inset of Duterte and the text “Duterte administration”; and
- members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines marching during the inauguration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., with an inset of Marcos and the text “military civic parade ni (of) PBBM.”
The video made a false implication. A reverse image search revealed the “Aquino” clip was taken during Duterte’s term. It features the NPA’s Pulang Bagani Battalion leading the celebration of the 48th anniversary of the CPP on Dec. 26, 2016.
The YouTube channel of alternative multimedia production house Kodao Productions uploaded the video.
The “Duterte” clip was from a 2021 video of a YouTube channel that compiled various military parades conducted during Duterte’s term.
The clip of the civic-military parade conducted under the new government was from Radio Television Malacañang’s stream of Marcos’ June 30 inauguration.
VERA Files Fact Check has debunked similar unproven claims linking Aquino’s father, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., to the CPP and NPA. (Read VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Enrile asserts unproven claim about Ninoy Aquino’s ties with CPP-NPA, MNLF and VERA FILES FACT CHECK: AFP amplifies false, unfounded claims on Ninoy Aquino’s death, CPP ties)
The TikTok video appeared a few days after the oath-taking of Marcos as the country’s 17th president. It was reuploaded by a pro-Marcos Facebook user and continues to circulate this week, receiving more than 20,000 reactions, 2,900 comments, 800 shares, and over 1.8 million views.
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(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
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