Showbiz gossip pollutes public perception of Senate flood control probe

By Nikko A. Balbedina III
PressOne.PH

 

Celebrity gossip has emerged as a key tool in the disinformation playbook, with social media channels using showbiz chatter to distract from and distort information about the Senate’s investigation into the flood control fiasco.

Why it matters: In a political culture where celebrities have also entered public office, showbiz rumors can easily spill into the political arena, damaging reputations and undermining the credibility of legitimate government work.

What we found: Following President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address where he mandated an audit of all flood control projects, PressOne.PH has been tracking several social media channels involved in spreading news-cycle disinformation. 

• As of this writing, PressOne.PH has collated nearly 2,000 videos from Tiktok and 700 videos from dubious YouTube channels spreading unverified information related to the flood control issue. 
• Some 300 of the videos collected from these platforms falsely reported marital dissolutions between politicians allegedly involved in corruption and their showbiz spouses. 
  • False reports of a breakup between actor-turned-congressman Arjo Atayde and noontime show host Maine Mendoza emerged after Atayde was accused of soliciting money from contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya.
  • Actress and fashion icon Heart Evangelista has also been falsely reported to have left her husband ex-Senate president Chiz Escudero.
• An absurd claim of a secret wedding between Vice President Sara Duterte and Escudero has also surfaced.

 

False breaking updates are warping the news cycle

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What’s new: On Nov. 3, ex-TV host Anjo Yllana went live on social media with bomb-shell allegations against his former noontime show co-host Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. His accusations include:

• Sotto allegedly hiring “fake vloggers” to attack Yllana online.
• Since 2013, Sotto has supposedly had an affair with a woman whom he also “shared” with his brother, veteran actor Vic Sotto.
• Eat Bulaga, where Tito and Vic Sotto and actor-host Joey de Leon are the main hosts, was allegedly run like “a syndicate.”

The pattern: Multiple YouTube channels and Tiktok accounts, some previously flagged for spreading disinformation online, were quick to republish snippets of Yllana’s livestream. 

• Since Nov. 3, more than 250 videos have surfaced on YouTube, with some reaching more than 450,000 views.
• Most of the channels involved in the campaign have either previously posted content in support of the Dutertes or have explicitly identified themselves as pro-Duterte.
• The thumbnails used by these videos often include buzzwords and heavily edited images of Sotto’s face showing exaggerated expressions to capture viewer attention by capitalizing on a comedic effect.
• On Tiktok, nearly 150 videos have been monitored with some having more than 2.5 million views.
• The videos also drew comments from users commending the former host for his pro-Duterte statements, with some supporting Yllana who hinted of running for senator in 2028 as part of Sara Duterte’s ticket.

 

Why it works: Unverified bombshell accusations against personalities who are in the middle of intensified media coverage hijack the hype and create false information firestorms that steal away the public’s attention from legitimate and more important news.

Fight the fake: Everything is political. When disinformation peddlers, which experts refer to as bad actors, spread gossip that involves (or even just brushes against) anyone in government, it should be treated as high-risk, as it may push political motives that could play out in the 2028 national elections. With reports from Dhayshel Tinoy, Jessica Mae Galicto & Rhei Hernandez

This report was made possible by an Internews project to build the capacity of news organizations in understanding disinformation and influence operations in the Philippines.