Website pinoyhubarticle.info published June 7 a story with a misleading headline that claims an “expert” has “confirmed” there is a possibility for ousted Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to be disbarred.
Copying an RMN News report, the website changed the original headline to create a clickbait article. From:
“NABABAHALA | Posibleng pagpataw ng disbarment laban kay Sereno, pinangangambahan ng kanyang kampo (ALARMED| Possible disbarment case against Sereno feared by her camp),”
the headline became:
“Kumpirmado! Lourdes Sereno posibleng matanggalan ng Lisensya Bilang Abogado ayon sa Eksperto (Confirmed! Lourdes Sereno might lose her law license according to expert).”
More, it was not an expert but Sereno’s own spokesperson, lawyer Josalee “Josa” Deinla, who was quoted in the misleading story.
The story was published five days after Deinla said their camp is aware of Sereno’s possible disbarment after the high tribunal issued Sereno a show cause order, asking her to explain why she should not be sanctioned for “casting aspersions and ill motives” against her former fellow justices.
Sereno was ousted May 11 via a quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida.
Pinoyhubarticle.info was created May 4. The story could have reached more than 522,000 people, its largest traffic generators on social media being Facebook pages Dugong Maharlika, Alan Peter Cayetano Supporters International and Duterte News.
(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
