A video posted by the Facebook page “Bisdak Gaming Channel” claimed that the camp of Vice President Leni Robredo is engaging in a smear campaign against rival presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The video featured the voice of someone who identified as a Marcos Jr. supporter. She explained how she was appalled when she received a pamphlet distributed by Robredo’s campaigners which contained attacks against Marcos Jr. More than 18,000 comments have been posted on the said video, with most commenters saying that the said campaign material is aimed at ruining Marcos Jr.’s reputation.
CLAIM:
Robredo campaign team on a ‘defamation spree’ vs Marcos Jr.
RATING:
FALSE
FACTS
A cursory investigation reveals that the pamphlet featured in the video is neither representative of the Robredo campaign nor does it prove that the Robredo camp is engaged in “smear tactics” against rival candidates, especially Marcos Jr.
A volunteer group in Quezon City dubbed “KYUSI FOR LENI MOVEMENT” has already admitted in a statement posted on its Facebook page last April 5 that it created, printed, and distributed the material. The group clarified that they are not defaming Marcos Jr., but are citing publicly-known issues involving the Marcoses to highlight why they choose Robredo.
WHY IT MATTERS
While the Robredo campaign team has distanced itself from the materials featured in the video, it should be noted that the country’s laws set clear parameters on what can be considered “defamatory.” As of writing, no case has been filed concerning the material, and we have yet to see if the said material could be considered a form of libel – a crime described as “written or visual defamation.”
The pamphlet in question features Marcos Jr., a long-time public official, and cited a news article and featured poster invitations to political events concerning publicly known issues where the Marcos family is involved. This is why it is important to note that Philippine jurisprudence has long adopted the criterion outlined in the U.S. benchmark case of New York Times Co. vs. Sullivan in libel cases involving public officials, by stating that “(t)he constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech and press prohibits a public official from recovering damages for a defamatory falsehood relating to his official conduct unless he proves that the statement was made with ‘actual malice’ that is, with the knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.”
It is also worth noting that the page Bisdak Gaming Channel is a page that initially projected itself as a non-partisan Facebook page dedicated to releasing videos and content related to online gaming. With the release of this viral video, the page has revealed how it has now become a platform for election campaigning. Such occurrence is in line with the findings of a #FactsFirstPH study which revealed how supposed non-political Facebook pages are now being used for election disinformation. -Rome Medina & Neil Dizon
Altermidya Network is part of #FactsFirstPH which brings together various sectors that are committed to promoting truth in the public space, and exacting accountability on those who harm it with lies. For those interested to join the initiative, email info@factsfirst.ph.
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