This graphic from a Philippine broadcaster has been doctored to include a false quote about President Duterte

This article is more than one year old.
Published on November 26, 2020 at 07:40
2 min read
By AFP Philippines

A graphic has been shared hundreds of times in multiple Facebook posts purporting to show a genuine quote from a Philippine television personality published by a Philippine broadcaster. The alleged quote and the posts suggest the television personality urged Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to sell government assets to help victims of the recent Typhoon Vamco. The claim is false; the graphic has been doctored from a post on the Philippine broadcaster's Facebook page; the television personality denied making the alleged remarks.

The graphic was published on Facebook here on November 16, 2020. The post has been shared more than 200 times.

A screenshot of the misleading post, taken on November 24, 2020

Bearing the GMA News logo, the graphic states: "Mr..Duterte What would you do to nice cars and jetplane if you have a lot of fellow Filipinos who are suffering and drowning from floods Sell what are not needed I think its the rigth (sic) time / TV Host Willie Revillame sold his car and donated proceeds to typhoon victims."

The post’s caption reads in part: "WILLIE REVILLAME , THAT'S THE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND DUTERTE. YOU HAVE HEART FOR THE FILIPINO HE HASN'T. HE HAS MADE THE GOVERNMENT HIS OWN PROPERTY SO HE AND HIS FAMILY CAN LIVE IN LUXURY."

Willie Revillame is a television personality in the Philippines. This is the Facebook page for his show on GMA News.

The graphic circulated online in the aftermath of Typhoon Vamco, which was the deadliest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, killing dozens and flooding portions of the country’s main island Luzon.

The graphic was also shared alongside a similar claim on Facebook here, here, here and here.

The claim is false; the graphic has been digitally altered.

Keyword searches found the original graphic was published by GMA News here on Facebook on November 14, 2020.

It states: "What would I do with nice cars if I have fellow Filipinos who are suffering. Sell properties that are not needed, I think this is the right time / TV Host Willie Revillame sold his car and donated proceeds to typhoon victims."

Below is a screenshot comparison showing the altered graphic in the misleading posts (L) and the original GMA News graphic (R):

Screenshot comparison

GMA News also labelled the manipulated graphic as “FAKE” in a Facebook post published on November 21, 2020.

In a statement made on his television programme, Revillame also denied ever making the alleged remarks about Duterte.

“I did not say that … Whoever made that, I’ve reported you to the National Bureau of Investigation,” he said at the 23-minute mark in this YouTube video of the programme.

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