Fake quote cards claiming that Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso uttered statements against people from the Visayas and Mindanao have spread on Facebook (FB).
One of the concocted social media cards quoted Moreno as saying: “BASTA FROM VISAYAS AND MINDANAO HINDI PWEDE PAPASUKIN SA MAYNILA (Anyone from Visayas and Mindanao won’t be allowed to enter Manila). Its earliest traceable copy was posted Sept. 14 by the page Duterte 2016 ‘Bohol Movement.’
Another made-up graphic, first published by the FB page Yellow Army on Sept. 13, attributed this quote to Moreno: “HINDI UUBRA SA AMING MGA TAGA TONDO YANG MGA TAGA MINDANAO (Those from Mindanao won’t stand a chance against Tondo [Manila] residents).”
Moreno made no such statements, based on a cursory search of media reports and official records.
On the morning of Sept. 14, the local executive issued a reaction on FB where he called the quote cards “fake news” and urged people not to be fooled by such posts on social media.
He wrote: “Huwag po tayo magpalinlang sa mga fake news na lumalabas ngayon sa social media. Ito po ay gawa-gawa lamang (Let’s not be fooled by fake news appearing on social media today. This is made up).”
Aksyon Demokratiko, Moreno’s political party, also issued a statement addressing the bogus graphics against its presidential candidate.
On Aug. 31, or two weeks before the fake quote cards started to surface, the Manila mayor said everyone was welcome in his city. “Anyone can be vaccinated, provided with tocilizumab, or admitted in hospitals even if they don’t reside in Manila,” read part of Moreno’s post on his official FB page, as translated from Filipino.
Around the time the graphics emerged, the Manila City Public Information Office reported on Sept. 14 that the local government has distributed 622 vials of tocilizumab – an antiviral used to treat patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 – nationwide, including three areas in Visayas and another three in Mindanao.
The FB page Duterte 2016 ‘Bohol Movement,’ which posted the quote card on Moreno’s alleged ban on Visayans and Mindanaoans, has taken on other names in the past. It was called Maribojoc Bohol, when it was created in July 2011, and Duterte 2016 in July 2014. Its fake graphic on Moreno garnered 191 reactions, 323 comments, and 102 shares.
FB page Yellow Army, which posted the other fake quote card, has posted material attacking Moreno, Sen. Richard Gordon, Vice President Leni Robredo, members of former President Benigno Aquino III’s administration, and members of the Liberal Party, among others. Its post got over 14,000 reactions, 14,000 comments, and 16,000 shares.
Yellow Army was created in August 2018.
(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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