A video with tens of thousands of views claims an incoming member of Philippine president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s cabinet “shamed” a journalist on national television for allegedly attacking Marcos. But the video had been digitally manipulated, and an AFP review of journalist Karen Davila’s actual interview with incoming finance chief Benjamin Diokno found the video’s claim is fabricated.
The video was shared on May 30 on a YouTube channel called Showbiz Fanaticz that has a history of sharing misinformation. It was viewed over 62,000 times.
Its caption states Benjamin Diokno — the incumbent central bank chief who Marcos Jr named finance secretary — had a tense interview with veteran Filipino journalist Karen Davila.
The same voiceover claims Diokno told Davila to “stop throwing attacks” after she purportedly said Marcos Jr should pay the archipelago nation’s debt to other countries and authorities.
AFP reviewed Davila’s 20-minute interview with Diokno and found it contains none of the events described in the doctored video.
Nowhere in the interview does Diokno appear to shame Davila. Neither does she say Marcos Jr’s government should pay the country’s debt as the doctored video alleges.
Responding to the false claim, Diokno told AFP on June 3: “Reports or write-ups that I berated Karen Davila in a recent interview are untrue.”
Read the full story on AFP Fact Check.