FACT-CHECK: Cardinal Advincula did not receive ‘maleta’ of bribes from Romualdez

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CLAIM: Manila Archbishop Jose Advincula accepted a “maleta” filled with bribes from Rep. Martin Romualdez and the Tingog party-list during a Mass.

 

RATING: FALSE

 

A Facebook reel  maliciously accused Cardinal Jose Advincula of receiving bribes inside a “maleta” (briefcase) during a Mass, from former House speaker Martin Romualdez and Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre.

Flagged content: Verified Facebook user “Chris Tapiro” posted a 20-second reel showing Romualdez and Acidre handing over a black briefcase to Advincula, the archbishop of Manila.

  • The reel contained selective shots of Advincula interacting with Acidre, Romualdez, and Ilocos Norte First District Rep. Sandro Marcos.
  • The video featured the viral sound “wait a minute” from the meme “wait a minute, who are you,” before zooming in on the black briefcase.
  • The video began by showing a superimposed text that read: “MALETA SPOTTED SA MISA (sic).” (A briefcase was spotted in a Mass.)
  • The user implied that Advincula had received a briefcase with bribe money from Romualdez and Acidre.

Our debunk: The footage shown in the reel was from the July 27 thanksgiving Mass attended  by all Catholic members of the House of Representatives to commemorate the opening of the 20th Congress, held at the Manila Cathedral.

  • The Mass was presided over by Cardinal Advincula and was attended by “more than 200” members of the house, including its employees—not just Acidre, Marcos, and Romualdez.
  • In this photo, published by the official Facebook page of the House, the handle of the black suitcase can be seen in the lower right portion.
  • The Archdiocese of Manila’s Office of Communications also posted this photo showing Cardinal Advincula accepting the suitcase.

PressOne.PH’s angle: From another angle, captured by PressOne.PH’s correspondent Earl Alpay, the black briefcase can be seen with a logo inscribed on it.

  • The white logo was revealed to be of Aurum Patella’s, a religious goods store based in Guiguinto, Bulacan.
  • The case contains a pair of chalice (a wine cup) and a ciborium (a covered cup for holding hosts), both used in performing the sacramental rites of the Holy Eucharist, not bribe money.
  • Seen in this video on Aurum Patella’s official Instagram account is the same case being opened, along with its actual contents.
  • In its official Facebook page, Aurum Patella, released a statement debunking the claim and confirming that the case had originated from its shop.

Rewind: As House speaker, Romualdez was tagged as one of the conspirators in the controversial budget insertions. These were later revealed to be one of the mechanisms used to funnel kickbacks from construction projects.

  • In a Sept. 15 pastoral letter, Advincula called on Filipinos to fight corruption and warned legislators that “corruption destroys dignity.”

Why we fact-checked this: As of writing, the post had gone “viral,” with 5,800 reactions, 2,600 comments, and more than 11,000 shares. It has also gained 1.4 million views at the time of writing.

  • The account is followed by 19,000 Facebook users.
  • Other versions of the video circulated on various social media platforms. 
  • The dubious reel was tipped to PressOne.PH by a follower for verification.

Spot the fake: Be wary of dubious claims coming from “verified” content creators on Facebook.

  • The blue checkmark on Facebook is not a badge of authority and credibility—it is a subscription service for individual users on the platform. Users can pay for it in exchange for enhanced profile protections.
  • In its policy, Meta (owner of Facebook) maintains that: “A verified badge is not a symbol to show importance, authority or subject matter expertise.”
  • Always look for context; most short-form videos use malicious editing tactics in presenting claims—always take it with a grain of salt.
  • Always verify through official and reputable sources. Hurt Allauigan (with reports from Earl Jerald Alpay)


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