A Facebook post claiming that presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. has asked for a recount of donations for Typhoon Odette victims sent to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and fellow presidential contender Leni Robredo is satirical.
The Facebook post, published by Cebu Dairy News on January 2, that went viral read:
“The camp of college dropout 2022 presidential aspirant and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. submitted to the COMELEC a petition to have a full recount on the total donations for Typhoon Odette victims received by the OVP and its partner volunteer groups.
We are urging the COMELEC to heed our call and grant the recount on the total donations raised by Vice President Leni Robredo. We want full disclosure and transparency of donations,” legal counsel for Marcos said.
Since after Odette ravaged some parts of the Visayas and Mindanao, the OVP and its partner volunteer groups have been raising funds and in-kind donations to help in disaster relief and response for the victims of Typhoon Odette.”
The post has gathered around 2,100 reactions, 310 comments and 481 shares.
While the post has mostly laugh reactions, there is a pattern of comments believing that the recount request is legitimate, even defending Robredo from the non-existing complaint.
One Facebook user wrote:
“The OVP is probably the most transparent government office in terms of managing their finances. Something that Marcos cannot do. Anyone can go to the OVP and ask a copy of their finances and spending. The OVP is COA certified with the highest rating. You can vote for Isko, Manny, Lacson, or Leni but not a Marcos.”
Another one commented:
“Who do you think you are Marcos, Jr. para humingi ng (to ask for an) accounting? Pera mo ba ang OVP money (Is the OVP money your money)? Ang kapal mo naman (You got a thick face)!”
Robredo defeated Marcos during the 2016 vice-presidential race, which the latter contested. In February 2021, the Supreme Court, sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal, junked his poll protest. Marcos had appealed the High Tribunal’s decision.
Cebu Dairy News, which has close to 32,000 followers and marks itself as a “Satire Page” on every post, is patterned after Cebu Daily News. (Yas D. Ocampo / MindaNews)
(This fact check piece was produced with the support of Internews’ Philippine Fact-Checker Incubator Project.)