With results of the elections still the main focus of disinformation this week, the top two presidential bets, president-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vice President Leni Robredo, remained the primary targets or beneficiaries of election-related falsehoods. Despite claims of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that the recent polls were “generally peaceful,” fraud and controversy were reported by the media. Voting was marred by breakdowns of vote-counting machines (VCM), voters disenfranchisement as well as the use and abuse of government resources. Adding to post-election woes was a Facebook post that alleged Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal would be placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions from May 15 to 31, apparently an attempt to sow fear amongst netizens. This is false.

Robredo draws flak on her recent trip to US

Following her defeat to Marcos Jr., Robredo flew to the US for her daughter’s graduation. Peddlers of disinformation seeking to discredit her were quick to produce spurious content. A Facebook post furnished by a supposed pilot claims that Robredo caused flight diversions at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport “last month,” presumably in April. The post has since been taken down and was debunked by an airline company. However, several FB posts carrying the screenshot of the allegation continue to circulate online. A screenshot of a Facebook post erroneously claimed Vice President Leni Robredo slept in an airport lounge for five hours. The sleeping woman in the photo is actually her daughter. In addition, Robredo’s dismissed cases were, once again, reshared via TikTok. The launch of her Angat Buhay Foundation was also criticized by naysayers, alleging that the non-government organization (NGO) is Robredo’s shadow government.

False red-tagging accusations

Post-election disinformation and the president-elect

Many supporters of presumptive president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. celebrated after the son of the ousted dictator emerged victorious in the recently held elections. Online pundits insinuated, who how several global landmarks commemorated his win, misled netizens. Contrary to these claims, the images of light shows from Kuwait Tower, Sydney Opera House, Burj Khalifa, Riyadh Towers, and London Bridge are celebrating various events unrelated to his victory. Fact-checkers also caught wind of a quote card with a congratulatory message from Queen Elizabeth II circulating online — this is a satire.

Photos of GMA News anchors that showed their supposed reactions after Marcos’ successful campaign and the plan to establish Robredo’s Angat Buhay NGO also misled the Twitterverse. While these reactions may be genuine, they were irrelevant to the allegations of the post and are thus, untrue.

In a Facebook post, the supposed cabinet lineup of Marcos, which included Rep. Rodante Marcoleta as his Justice Secretary, drove a lot of engagement, leading to a circulating congratulatory post. Marcos, however, has not confirmed this. As for his statement regarding his running mater, Sara Duterte, becoming secretary of Department of Education, where he mentions that he is yet to seek confirmation from the Commission of Appointments (CA), this needs further context. According to the 1987 Constitution, the vice president is exempted from the scrutiny of the CA if appointed to a Cabinet position. He does not need the CA’s confirmation.

Amid all these falsehoods, the president-elect was spotted in Australia this week. Fact-checkers confirmed this, with progressive groups protesting outside his apartment consequently.

More fact checks on the Marcos legacy:

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Tsek.ph is a collaborative fact-checking project for the 2022 Philippines’ elections. It is an initiative of academe, media and civil society to counter disinformation and provide the public with verified information.