Vice Ganda debunked a social media post supposedly made by him as a show of support for former President Rodrigo Duterte who was recently arrested for alleged involvement in crimes against humanity.
The fake statement which circulated on various social media platforms, praised Duterte’s leadership, particularly during the pandemic and his controversial “war on drugs”.
It read: “Ayaw kong magpaka-hipokrito ha, aminin natin nung time ni FPRRD, karamihan ng adik nagbagong buhay, karamihan sa criminal nag-uunahang sumuko, dahil sa takot kay Duterte. Confident kayong lumabas sa gabi dahil alam niyong yung mga criminal at masasamang loob nabawasan na. Kung hindi si Duterte yung namuno ng pandemic, lahat tayo, patay. Lahat ng pondo ng gobyerno ginamit ni Duterte maitawid lang tayo sa pandemic.”
On Tuesday, March 11, Vice Ganda took to his official accounts to deny the claim, urging the public to be cautious of misinformation and refrain from spreading it any further.
“FAKE NEWS!”, the comedienne’s post began. “Huwag paniwalaan ang kumakalat na pahayag na ito! Wala po akong inilabas o sinabi na ganitong statement. Maging mapanuri at huwag basta maniwala sa impormasyong walang malinaw o opisyal na pinagmulan. Please report!”
On X, he wrote in a report of the fake post, “I never stated this. Pls report.”
The following day, Vice Ganda also addressed the circulating post on a live episode of It’s Showtime, reiterating that he did not make any statements similar to the topic of the fake quote.
Netizens and fans have called for other online users to be more cautious in verifying information before sharing unverified claims. Many have also reported the fake post in an effort to stop the spread of misinformation.
Meanwhile, Kim Chiu and Vhong Navarro faced criticisms over their opening spiel during the same episode above after some netizens assumed that some of the remarks they made was a jab at Duterte’s arrest.
In response to the backlash, the two have clarified the issue, saying they were merely reading the script given to them for the segment.
