A video posted on Facebook (FB) claimed members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) confiscated school supplies handed out by Angat Buhay, the foundation led by former vice president Leni Robredo. It is false.
On Aug. 23, a video was published by an FB page with this inaccurate headline: “Angat buhay ni Leni. Libreng school supplies Sa mga kabataan , kinumpiska Ng mga pulis (Leni’s Angat Buhay. Free school supplies for the youth, confiscated by the police).”
The five-minute video showed a short clip of an incident with police seizing unidentified paraphernalia. Near the two-minute mark, the commentator admitted to not knowing the full context of the video and chided supporters of Robredo for uploading an incomplete video.
The brief footage used as basis for the false claim is from the Aug. 22 Twitter video of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines.
It shows the police confiscating face masks, alcohol and food distributed to students by a group holding placards calling for a “ligtas na balik-eskwela” (safe return to schools) during the first day of face-to-face classes.
Two progressive organizations—childrens’ rights groups Salinlahi and Children’s Rehabilitation Center—were behind the activity, not the Angat Buhay.
In separate press releases, both organizations condemned the “violent dispersal” by the PNP Quezon City Police District (QCPD) of their volunteers. The QCPD denied the accusation and insisted the group was “peacefully dispersed” after the volunteers brought out protest streamers and placards.
During the Aug. 22 episode of CNN Philippines’ The Source, Education spokesperson Michael Poa said they are investigating the reported confiscation by the police.
The inaccurate post appeared after Robredo said on Aug. 22 that the newly-founded organization would continue its facilitation of community learning hubs which were previously part of the Bayanihan E-skwela initiatives of the Office of the Vice President during her term.
FB page Birde to be Wild (created on April 18) published the video, which has since garnered more than 11,000 reactions, 2,700 comments, 480 shares and 268,000 views.
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