FACT-CHECK: Vietnam’s prime minister did not call PH ‘corruption-ridden’

CLAIM: Vietnam’s prime minister said he would not grant loans to the Philippines because it was ridden with corruption.

RATING: FALSE

A manufactured quote attributed to Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, claiming he supposedly told President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that he would not be giving the Philippines a loan as it was rife in corruption, has been repeatedly shared on Facebook, racking up engagement by the thousands.

Flagged content: The reels, uploaded around Sept. 23, contain a photo of Hung and Marcos Jr. with a “Breaking news” tag, falsely made to look like a legitimate news update.

The text on the graphic implied that the Vietnamese leader, responding to Marcos Jr., said he would not approve loans to the Philippines until corruption in the country was dealt with.

Our debunk: PressOne.PH scanned the official Vietnamese government news portal Viet Nam Government Portal (VGP) and social media accounts, and found no record of any statement made by Hung calling the Philippines a corrupt country.

On May 7, Hung and Marcos Jr. met on the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu and reportedly agreed to boost cooperation in ensuring food security, energy security and marine science research between the two countries.
The Vietnamese government’s report on the meeting did not mention any criticism from Hung that the Philippines was a corrupt country.

Catch-up quick: On June 1, Vietnam and Philippines announced an “Enhanced Strategic Partnership,” calling for deeper cooperation for growth, development, innovation, and peace and stability.

During Vietnamese President To Lam’s visit, both countries signed agreements on defense cooperation, digital transformation, tourism, and education partnerships.
The two nations have also discussed economic and agricultural cooperation, which seek to expand bilateral trade beyond their mutual target of $10 billion, while still maintaining a balanced commercial relationship.

Why we fact-checked this: The reel has been repeatedly posted by multiple accounts on Facebook and has amassed considerable engagement, which could further mislead viewers.

As of writing, the posts monitored by PressOne.PH had collectively gathered nearly 11,000 reactions, and thousands in comments and shares.
Comments suggested that viewers believed the Vietnamese prime minister indeed criticized the Philippines and Marcos Jr.

Spot the fake: Before believing supposed public statements attributed to foreign or national government officials, visit their official websites or channels for verification.

False claims like this, labeled with “breaking news” and stylized as news cards, make it easier for readers to mistake as a factual news report. This format is convenient for blending into the news cycle. Abel Eugenio

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