Always tell the truth, President Rodrigo Duterte once admonished government officials:
“To my fellow workers in government, especially those who form part of the Communications Office, I enjoin you to remain committed to your duty in upholding the truth at all times. Never exaggerate, never misinterpret, never agitate as you communicate our platform of governance. In other words, do not be arrogant.”
Source: Speech of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during the relaunch of the Malacañang Press Briefing Room, Oct. 12, 2017, watch from 2:15 to 2:45
Yet the president has failed to follow his own advice, making false claims, flip-flops and misleading statements all year round.
Watch this video.
(Guided by the code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, VERA Files tracks the false claims, flip-flops, misleading statements of public officials and figures, and debunks them with factual evidence. Find out more about this initiative.)
