At least two websites, du30community.info and pinoynewsportal.info, published April 21 and 22 a story claiming without basis that Vice President Leni Robredo’s camp is burning ballots containing votes for her 2016 election opponent former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
No legitimate news source reported this claim.
The du30community.info story bore the headline “LENI ROBREDO P1NAPA$U-N0G ANG MGA BAL0TA NI BONGBONG MARCOS! PANOORIN (Leni Robredo orders the burning of Marcos ballots! Watch!).”
The pinoynewsportal.info story has a similar headline, “PANOORIN! LENI ROBREDO P1NAPA$U-N0G ANG MGA BAL0TA NI BONGBONG MARCOS! (Watch! Leni Robredo orders the burning of Marcos ballots!).
Both carry a 25-minute video by California-based Duterte supporter “Maharlika” who made unattributed allegations blaming Robredo’s camp for burn marks allegedly found by recount “revisors” on ballots containing votes for Marcos.
Marcos, after his narrow loss to Robredo in the 2016 elections, filed a poll protest case against the vice president.
The story on du30community.info and pinoynewsportal.info was posted days after Robredo asked the Supreme Court sitting as Presidential Election Tribunal to reconsider its decision to follow a 50 percent voting threshold in the poll recount.
Du30community.info was created on April 1; pinoynewsportal.info on February 28; and the Youtube channel PagBabago Ng Pinas, which uploaded Maharlika’s video, in March 2017.
The biggest traffic generators of this story on social media, which could have reached more than 1.8 million people, are President Duterte Worldwide Supporters, Pres. Rody Duterte Worldwide Supporters and President Duterte Astig Supporters.
(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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