Vice President Leni Robredo on Wednesday denounced as “fake news” a Twitter account that uses the Angat Buhay‘s name.
The fake account also falsely claimed that the upcoming non-governmental organization would overthrow the incoming administration.
“Hindi po konektado sa Office of the Vice President o kay VP Leni Robredo ang Twitter account na ‘Angat Buhay New Government’ o @NewGovOrgABF,” Robredo said in a Facebook post.
“Wala pong katotohanan ang mga lumalabas sa account na ito, na ang malinaw na layunin ay manlinlang at magpakalat ng maling impormasyon,” she added.
Prior to Robredo’s advisory on the fake account, some Filipinos also called on Twitter users to report the account.
A concerned Twitter account told “Kakampinks,” the informal name for the supporters of Robredo and Sen. Kiko Pangilinan‘s campaign, about a page attempting to smear her name.
“Please REPORT @/NewGovOrgABF. Volunteer IT specialists now tracing digital footprints of this troll,” Twitter account @AltAngatBuhay said on Wednesday.
Please REPORT @/NewGovOrgABF. Volunteer IT specialists now tracing digital footprints of this troll. pic.twitter.com/bDBzRBFSXl
— Alt Angat Buhay (@AltAngatBuhay) May 18, 2022
The @AltAngatBuhay was previously under the username “Alt Opposition” before Robredo formally announced her plans to launch her office’s “Angat Buhay” program as a non-government organization.
“Alt” is short for “alternate.”
It is not an official account and has a disclaimer on its page that notes it is not affiliated with the program itself.
Meanwhile, the account @NewGovOrgABF or “Angat Buhay New Government” was created in January 2020 with the following profile description: “An organization designed to overthrow Marcos Administration and introduce a New Government.”
Its location was tagged in “Quezon City,” where Robredo’s office as a vice president is.
The account has 31 followers and follows 20 accounts, including Robredo’s spokesperson and opposition figures such as former senator Antonio Trillanes and detained Sen. Leila de Lima.
It was also following a Twitter user who was posting tweets against Robredo’s supporters and the opposition.
The account also posts fake quote cards with grammatical and spelling errors, including a made-up statement of Robredo’s supposed reaction to the Cebu Pacific issue.
@NewGovOrgABF claimed that the vice president called the pilot a “liar” and a “loyalist.”
However, the Office of the Vice President’s statement did not contain such words.
“It is alarming that almost a week after the elections, the disinformation and fake news being spread on social media against VP Leni continue unabated,” Robredo’s office said before.
“Lying, unfortunately, has become a full-blown industry on social media. VP Leni reiterates her commitment to take firm steps against disinformation and promote truthful public discourse,” her office added.
Amid the spread of the fake account, Robredo once again reminded the public to be vigilant of unverified information they may encounter online. She added that details about the upcoming Angat Buhay NGO will be posted on her official Facebook account.
“Para sa mga opisyal na detalye at anunsyo ukol sa Angat Buhay NGO, tutok lamang po dito sa VP Leni Robredo Facebook page,” Robredo said.
“Maging mapanuri at huwag basta maniniwala sa mga haka-haka, mga kwento o unverified information na nakikita online. Maraming salamat po!” she added.
Robredo made the same call early this week when various social media accounts using Angat Buhay’s name were created online.
READ: Public reminded to be vigilant of entities claiming to have ties with Angat Buhay NGO
Last Friday, the vice president announced that the Angat Buhay NGO will be launched on July 1.
Robredo said that the non-government organization would continue the anti-poverty initiatives she has spearheaded during her term as vice-president in what would be called the “widest volunteer network” in Philippine history.
“Pero hindi tayo mamimili ng tutulungan. Wala tayong tatalikuran. Ipapakita natin ang buong pwersa ng radikal na pagmamahal,” she said before.
The Office of the Vice President’s “Angat Buhay” initiatives have served as a vehicle for typhoon relief efforts and COVID-19 response.
Her office launched it in October 2016 to uplift Filipinos living on the fringes of society by helping them with food security and nutrition, universal healthcare, public education, rural development, housing and resettlement, and women empowerment.
