Youtube account Tokhang TV falsely claimed that President Rodrigo Duterte will remove the civil service eligibility requirement in regularizing government employees.
In an 11-minute pirated footage posted Dec. 12, Tokhang TV wrote as headline:
“PRRD AALISIN NA ANG CIVIL SERVICE ELIGIBILITY PARA MAGING REGULAR EMPLOYEE?”
(PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE TO REMOVE CIVIL SERVICE ELIGIBILITY AS CONDITION FOR BECOMING A REGULAR EMPLOYEE?)
The video was a segment in Radyo Pilipinas News Nationwide’s Dec. 11 broadcast. It featured a story on Duterte’s speech before military and police personnel.
The post’s claim is false on two levels.
First, the headline by Tokhang TV runs counter to the content of the video. Reporter Alvin Baltazar did not say anything about Duterte removing the eligibility requirement in “regularizing” employees.
What he said was the president would prioritize competence and trustworthiness over eligibility among those who wish to work in government:
“Pagiging tapat at hindi eligibility ang requirement ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte para sa mga nais makapasok at mag-trabaho sa gobyerno.”
(“Trustworthiness, and not eligibility, is the requirement of President Rodrigo Duterte for those who want to enter and work in government.”)
Source: Radyo Pilipinas News Nationwide, Dec. 11, 2018, watch from 35:46-37:02
Second, the Tokhang TV post takes the president’s speech out of context.
Duterte talked about his criteria in selecting some of his appointees in the context of corruption. He explained why he chose Lt. Gen. Macairog Alberto, commanding general of the Philippine army, and Lt. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu, defense undersecretary for civil, veterans and retiree affairs among other appointees.
He then said:
“(I)f you want to work [in government] during my term. You are competent and you are honest, period. Wala na (No need for) eligibility-eligibility. I am not trying to degrade the qualification, the level of qualification pero bigyan mo lang ako ‘yung (just give me an) honest person tapos ‘yung hindi (and one who is not) corrupt.”
Source: PCOO, Speech during the initial awarding of 500 housing units within Scout Ranger Village under the AFP/PNP housing program, Dec. 10, 2018
In a report by ABS-CBN News, Civil Service Commission spokesperson Ariel Ronquillo said Duterte was only referring to his “own confidential appointees” who are not required to pass any civil service eligibility to be employed in government.
The pirated video has garnered over 27,100 views on Youtube, and could have reached at least 274,350 people more on social media. Its largest Facebook traffic generators include pages DUTERTE MARCOS SUPPORTERS; HARRY ROQUE, BONG GO AT RONALD “BATO” DELA ROSA – DDS PARA SA SENADO; and Federal for Better Philippines.
Tokhang TV, which has a history of posting false and misleading reports, was created in November 2016.
(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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