A quote card featuring economics professor and broadcaster Solita “Winnie” Monsod taking a jab at former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is making the rounds online. A reader asked VERA Files Fact Check to verify the quote.
The statement read: “Naging estudyante ko na si Leni, Chiz, Cayetano, at Bong Bong. Sa kanilang apat, si Bong Bong lang yung nangangamote sa economics.”
(Translation: Leni [Robredo], Chiz [Escudero], [Alan Peter] Cayetano, and Bongbong have all been my students. Of the four, only Bongbong flopped in economics).
Monsod did not say this. This is a warped version of a remark she made in an October 2015 interview on Unang Hirit, the morning news program of GMA Network.
Speaking about the aspirants for the vice presidency ahead of the 2016 elections, Monsod, a former economic planning secretary, said:
“Sa mga kandidato ho, ang kilala ko talaga ay si Leni, si Alan, si Chiz … Estudyante ko ‘yan noon. But Leni was talagang [UP] School of Economics. Si Bongbong Marcos naturuan ko na rin kasi nung nasa England siya, medyo hindi niya naiintindihan economics. Pinapunta ako sa Palasyo.”
(Translation: Of the candidates, I personally know Leni, Alan and Chiz. They are my former students. But Leni really was from the UP School of Economics. I’ve also taught Bongbong Marcos because when he was in England, he didn’t quite understand economics. I was asked to go to the Palace.)
The Unang Hirit clip is no longer available on YouTube, but a copy of it uploaded in 2017 is available on GMA News’ Dailymotion channel.
The false quote card, which began circulating on Sept. 22, emerged four days after the political party Partido Federal ng Pilipinas named Marcos as its presidential bet in the 2022 elections.
Facebook pages iDefendPH, No to Marcos forever in politics, Deodato A. Malaya, Filipino’s Patriotism, Buhay Dutertard and Madam Aguida & Sarkastiko Tasyo – Writing in Tandem #EJK4fanatics were among those that posted the false quote card. Collectively, the posts from the six pages have been shared over 2,100 times.
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