An online post claiming to quote reelectionist senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV on the Mega Manila Subway, and former President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III on windmills misleads with fabricated and incomplete information.
On March 8, Facebook page No to Liberal Party posted a photo that placed two quote cards on top of the other:
- Bam Aquino: “Gagawa ng Subway Pano (sic) kung bumaha ([They’ll] build a subway, what if it floods)?”; and
- Noynoy Aquino: “Tatayo ng Windmill Pano (sic) kung walang hangin ([They’ll] put up a windmill, what if there’s no wind)?”
The post bore the caption, “Tatak Aquino (The Aquino brand)! Tatak Bobo (Silly brand)!”
Overall, the post is misleading. The Bam Aquino quote is downright fake. Noynoy Aquino’s, while real, is incomplete and could therefore be taken out of context.
The senator’s alleged quote is merely a variation of another post, published only hours prior by Balitanga News Philippines, a Facebook page that describes itself as “satirical or fictional.” No official statements nor news reports reflect the supposed pronouncement.
A post on Bam Aquino’s official Facebook page also disproved the fake quote:
“Pagkatapos lumabas ang balita na pasok po tayo sa Magic 12, may bago na naman pong fake quote! Mag-ingat po tayo sa fake news at paninira, lalo na ngayong eleksyon (After news broke that we made the Magic 12, another fake quote came out! Let’s be wary of fake news that attempt to taint [our] reputation, especially this election season).
Let’s spread truth and love, instead of lies and hate! Tuloy lang po ang trabaho at ang laban para sa pag-asenso ng bayan (The fight toward our country’s progress continues). #StopFakeNews”Source: Bam Aquino official Facebook page, March 8, 2019
Former President Aquino’s statement, on the other hand, was made during his fourth State of the Nation Address in 2013. Explaining the need to balance fossil fuel-fired and renewable power plants in the country’s overall energy mix, he said in Filipino:
“Did [the critics] say it’s more expensive to construct [renewable energy plants]? And that the price of energy will be more expensive? Did they say it will not be able to sustain the baseload, or the capacity needed to address brownouts? If you put up a wind-powered plant, what if there’s no wind? If you put up a solar-powered plant, what if it’s cloudy?”
Source: PTV official Youtube account, PTV SONA 2013: President Benigno Aquino III’s 4th State of the Nation Address-(Pt.2/2) – 7/22/13, July 22, 2013, watch from 16:03 to 16:40
He added, also in Filipino: “Let me be clear: I believe in renewable energy and we support its use, but there should also be baseload plants that can ensure a steady supply of electricity for our homes and industries.”
True to its name, No to Liberal Party mostly shares and publishes posts that are against members of the opposition, including Bam and Noynoy Aquino. On its About page, it said: “Wag magpaloko at magpauto sa kultong ito (Don’t be fooled by this cult). #BoycottLP2016”.
No to Liberal Party’s misleading post could have reached about 1.17 million people, with over 19,800 combined interactions on Facebook. Its top traffic generators include Facebook groups BongBong Marcos United, MOCHA USON SUPPORTERS and REAL PHILIPPINE HISTORY.
(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
(VERA Files is a part of Tsek.ph, a collaborative fact-checking initiative by the academe and the media for the 2019 Philippine midterm elections.)
