Archive - FACT CHECK

A video circulating on FB and YouTube revived a false claim that Sen. Risa Hontiveros took funds from the PhilHealth. Hontiveros was not involved in the 2014 PhilHealth bonus controversy. 

Several FB pages are advertising a health supplement called Thyroid Mana that can allegedly cure a myriad of thyroid-related illnesses. This is a scam.

According to the Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission, there were 11,103 people who suffered under the Marcos regime and eligible to receive compensation from the P10-billion fund forfeited from the Swiss accounts of the late dictator’s family.

Contrary to the report of Inquirer.net, the ICC probe is still in the preliminary investigation stage and no Filipino official has yet been charged.

Two weeks after the bike lanes on Ayala Avenue were supposed to be converted into shared lanes or sharrows, Make It Makati, Ayala Land, Inc. and the Makati Commercial Estate Association – walked back on the project after transport groups objected to the plan.

An herbalist incorrectly claimed that putting sliced onions on the soles of one’s feet cures high uric acid levels and rayuma within a week. 

A YouTube channel pushed out twice this month a false claim that Justice Secretary Boying Remulla has freed former senator Leila de Lima from detention.

A Filipino Facebook (FB) page claimed that South Korea is currently directing its missiles towards China. This is not true.

A YouTube video claimed that celebrity Kris Aquino died of stage 5 cancer last Feb. 16, and that Sen. Raffy Tulfo witnessed her death. This is not true.

An old video of a helicopter in flight is being falsely claimed to show the test drive of a recent “gift” of Russia to the Philippines. The country received no such present from Russia.

Another set of videos claimed that suspended BuCor chief Gerald Bantag has been reinstated to his post. This is not true.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte made public statements ordering the killing of drug suspects at least once every year since 2016.

Malacañang’s last-minute proclamation of Feb. 24 as a special (non-working) day so the public can enjoy a longer weekend created confusion to many, particularly those with work or class on Saturday, Feb. 25.

A Facebook page claiming to be a fan page of Robinsons Supermarket is luring Filipinos into a fake giveaway of refrigerators. 

The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I noted that the investigation of the drug war done by the Philippine government covered only “low-ranking” police officers and failed to probe into the systemic nature of the crimes or identify the “most responsible” officials.

Marcos is the latest and the highest public official who put into question ICC’s jurisdiction to investigate the drug-related killings under the Duterte administration.

Another YouTube video is claiming that UP Diliman has been closed down, this time by President Bongbong Marcos and pastor Apollo Quiboloy. This is not true. 

Although Dela Rosa and former president Rodrigo Duterte were named in the request of former ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda for an investigation into the killings related to the drug war, no suspects have yet been identified in the probe.

A Social Weather Stations survey in 2022 showed that one in four Filipino households owned a bicycle. The figure is higher in Metro Manila, where one in three households had a bike.

An alleged memorandum from Malacañang stating that all government workers will get a salary deduction to bankroll the President’s aid fund for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria is fake.

A video of a building demolition in Saudi Arabia was posted on Tiktok and passed off as part of the devastation caused by the Feb. 6 earthquake in Turkey. A reverse image search shows that this was actually taken in Saudi Arabia.

A product called Lung Cleaner Tritydo is being falsely advertised again on FB despite being debunked before over bogus claims that it could treat asthma, pneumonia, and bronchitis.

A video on YouTube is erroneously claiming that the Senate has passed an “immediate order” to remove the K to 12 education system.

A YouTube video used a photo collage to falsely claim that Marcos gold documents were released during the visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Japan.

Another video falsely claims that Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla is being let go. Not true.

A YouTube video claims that Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio revealed First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos' alleged ties to onion smugglers. This is false.

Harvard University did not issue a public apology for inviting Leni Robredo and Kim Kardashian as lecturers. This story is satirical, which had some netizens duped into thinking or passing off as real.

Ayungin Shoal, internationally known as Second Thomas Shoal and called Ren’ai Reef by China, is part of the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf of the Philippines, according to the July 12, 2016 decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

A video supposedly showing a building collapse in Turkey after the 7.8 magnitude quake struck on Feb. 6 has gone viral among Filipino netizens. This is false.

A video posted on YouTube and Facebook says the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) wants Sen. Raffy Tulfo removed from the Senate. This is misleading.