A Nov. 9 report by website duterteforever.net claiming that former president Fidel V. Ramos has called on President Rodrigo Duterte to step down from his post is not true.
The original post has been taken down, but a copy of the report that bore the headline, “JUST IN! RAMOS NANAWAGAN NA BUMABA NA SI PRES. DUTERTE SA PWESTO! PANOORIN NIYO (Just in! Ramos called on Pres. Duterte to step down from his position! Watch this)!”, is still being re-shared on social media. The post’s thumbnail also carried a photo of Ramos and Duterte.
There have been no reports by mainstream media reflecting duterteforever.net’s claim.
On the contrary, Ramos at his last public appearance – the Oct. 15 launch of his book Prosper Thy Neighbor – was full of praise for Duterte in his opening remarks. Duterte attended the event.
Ramos has criticized Duterte in the past, but never did he ask him to step down from his post. In a two-part opinion piece published in the Manila Bulletin in October 2016, the former head of state said Duterte was “losing badly” in the first 100 days of his administration, criticism the latter welcomed and accepted.
The photo of Ramos used by duterteforever.net is a July 26, 2013 photo by website Korea.net, while Duterte’s is an Inquirer.net file photo dating back to 2016.
The false story was published less than a month after Ramos’ book launch.
It could have reached over 114,000 people, with traffic to the story largely coming from the pages Rodrigo Du30, DUTERTE MARCOS SUPPORTERS and DEFENDERS OF PRESIDENT DUTERTE. Duterteforever.net was created last Oct. 30.
(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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