FACT-CHECK: Old Bong Revilla video resurfaces amid flood control mess

CLAIM: Former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. was injured recently amid corruption allegations.

RATING: FALSE

Several Facebook and TikTok accounts recirculated an old video of former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. walking with a cane, falsely claiming that he was recently injured and using it to generate sympathy amid his alleged involvement in the flood control controversy.

Flagged content: A Facebook page, “Hokage ng Pinas,” posted the old video of Revilla, implying that the former senator recently got injured.

An overlay text read: “Bong Revilla Nagprapractice narin” (sic), “oh bat napilay to” , “sunod na wheelchair diyan”. (“Bong Revilla is practicing too,” “oh, why did this one get injured?” “next, bring a wheelchair here.”)
It also included hashtags: “#floodcontrol #contractor #FloodControlProjects #corrupt.”
Edited videos started recirculating on Oct. 16 through various Facebook and TikTok accounts, all narrating the same claim and featuring the same captions and hashtags.

Our debunk: A different angle and time stamp of the video was posted by Rappler’s Dwight de Leon on X (formerly Twitter) last year, May 8, during the Partido Federal-Lakas alliance signing ceremony a month after Revilla was reportedly injured while filming a movie.

Ramos mentioned in the caption that Revilla sustained an Achilles tendon injury in April 2024.
A Senate press release dated April 17, 2024, stated that the Revilla “suffered an Achilles tendon rupture” while filming.
On April 19, 2024, days after the Senate press release, Revilla posted his photo on Instagram where he can be seen lying on a hospital bed with his family gathered around, and announcing his successful surgery.
His Instagram posts afterwards included photos of him standing with an assistive device. His last photo with a cane was during his daughter’s doctorate commencement on July 30, 2024.
His latest Facebook post, Aug. 18, shows the former senator being able to stand on his own.

Rewind: Revilla was among the names revealed by ex-Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo during a Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on Sept. 25.

Bernardo revealed that he gave a list of projects to Revilla in 2024. He also alleged during the hearing that Revilla received kickbacks from the projects.
On the same day, Revilla denied the allegations through a statement released by a law firm.
Filipino politicians accused of corruption suddenly seen wearing a neck brace or sitting on a wheelchair in public appearances have become a subject of ridicule in Philippine politics and pop culture.

Why we fact-checked this: Many accounts are resurfacing the old video with the same exaggerated claim and false timeframe.

Spot the fake: Verify and trace suspicious video to their original post or other posts containing the same image using reverse image search tools.

Verify a politician’s latest activities on their personal social media accounts, on their close family’s, or through verified news organization’s social media accounts.
Be wary of videos that have missing contexts or superimposed texts. Dhayshel Tinoy

PressOne.PH is a verified signatory of the Code of Principles of the International Fact -Checking Network (IFCN) at Poynter. The code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network is a series of commitments organizations abide by to promote excellence in fact-checking. We believe nonpartisan and transparent fact-checking can be a powerful instrument of accountability journalism..

PressOne.PH believes that fact-checking is essential to combating misinformation and disinformation, and in informing and educating citizens and voters. Read more of PressOne.PH’s Fact-Checking Policy by clicking here.

The public is welcome to send feedback or requests for fact-checks at factcheck@pressone.ph.

If you believe PressOne.PH is violating the Code of Principles of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), you may submit a complaint directly to the IFCN website: https://ifcncodeofprinciples.poynter.org/complaints-policy

<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-1535372364357523" data-ad-slot="8956430836" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

FACT-CHECK: Facebook page spreads disinformation post on fake lockdowns and class suspensions

A Facebook page named “DSWD Television” has been posting false announcements about updates in preparation for a major earthquake, class suspensions because of a supposed flu outbreak, and tropical cyclones “Quedan,” “Ramil,” and a made-up typhoon “Rome.”