VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Pangilinan DID NOT say attacks against Robredo and former tourism chief Jimenez ‘not right’

Website goodnewsnetworkph.com published May 6 a story with a false and provocative headline twisting a statement by Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.

The story, which could have reached more than 5.7 million people, bore the headline: “DIYOS KAYO? Pangilinan, pag-atake sa kalaban nila ay TAMA, pero ang pag-atake sa MALI ng kaalyado nila ay HINDI TAMA (You think you’re God? Pangilinan says attacks on opponents are right, but attacks on the wrongs of allies are not right).”

It copy-pasted a GMA News Online report the same day quoting a Pangilinan statement saying recent attacks against Vice President Leni Robredo and former Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez are tactics meant to divert public attention from issues hounding the current administration.

The GMA News Online report bore the headline, “Kiko: Attacks on Robredo, Jimenez aim to divert attention from Kuwait, DOT, WPS issues,” and contrary to the goodnewsnetworkph.com story did not mention anything about Pangilinan describing attacks against Robredo and Jimenez as “not right.”

Beyond its provocative headline, the goodnewsnetworkph.com story also used a September 2017 photo of Pangilinan, who is Liberal Party president, with Robredo and party members Senators Franklin Drilon and Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, and former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

The story was posted amid continuing media coverage of the poll case against Robredo filed by former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and two days after the National Bureau of Investigation filed a graft complaint against Jimenez relating to his “It’s more fun in the Philippines” campaign.

Its biggest traffic generator on social media is MOCHA USON BLOG, the Facebok page of Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson.

Goodnewsph.com was created on Nov. 25, 2017.

(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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