Fact check: Robredo’s daughter did not skip quarantine
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo debunked claims that one of her daughters skipped quarantine, calling these “criminal and malicious.”
CLAIM: One of Robredo’s daughters allegedly jumped quarantine and went home directly.
RATING: This is false.
FACTS:
What the posts said
Former television personality Jay Sonza said on Facebook last Friday that the child of a certain “Madam” skipped quarantine protocols and went home straight.
“Sabi mo Madam, dapat walang palakasan. Bakit iyong anak mong dumating derecho sa bahay, hindi dumaan sa Quarantine Protocol?” Sonza said.
(You said, Madam, there should be no patronage. Why did your child go home directly and did not go through quarantine protocols?)
Sonza did not name Robredo, but the vice president did vow to end “palakasan” or patronage in government if she is elected president.
Sonza also has a long history of throwing shade and spewing false claims against personalities in the opposition, including Robredo.
What the posts left out
Robredo’s daughters have been transparent about their experience travelling from the United States to the Philippines and have said that they followed quarantine protocols set by the government.
They said that they quarantined in a hotel for five days upon arrival in Manila from New York CIty on December 19, after which they got COVID-19 RT-PCR tests.
Setting the record straight – I tested positive for COVID and I’m currently still in isolation. I was transferred from the quarantine hotel to the isolation facility on Christmas Day. Mga kapatid ko lang naexpose sa akin kasi sabay kaming bumiyahe. They’re finishing home Q now. pic.twitter.com/ve9Fm9qAjK
— Tricia Robredo (@jpgrobredo) December 30, 2021
Tricia Robredo said she tested positive and was transferred to a quarantine facility on Christmas Day, despite having asked if she can strictly quarantine at home. Meanwhile, Aika Robredo and Jillian Robredo continued the rest of the 14-day quarantine period at home until January 3.
The vice president said Tricia was only released from the quarantine facility after testing negative for three consecutive days, but was still required to continue isolating at home until January 4.
“Nag susurge na, imbes na tumulong, nag nenegosyo pa ng kasinungalingan,” the vice president said, reacting to the false claims about her daughters. “Sinasadya nalang talaga mag sinungaling dahil may mga napapaniwala.”
(Cases are already surging, and instead of helping, they continue to be in the business of lies … They’re telling lies on purpose because there are people who believe.)
Essential context
The vice president, the de facto leader of the opposition, and her daughters have long been the target of disinformation by pro-administration accounts on social media.
Earlier, pro-administration accounts posted content claiming that the Commission on Elections had confirmed that she had been disqualified, supposedly due to a crowdfunding initiative by her team.
Robredo had also countered as fake two altered photos that make it appear that her supporters have crowded in Manila, in violation of social distancing protocols, and that she sold fish at a market.
Her previous strategy was to ignore these attacks, but seeing that this was ineffective at countering falsehoods, she changed tact and is now countering these head on.
Why did we fact check it?
Sonza, despite no longer being active on television and having lost two electoral bids, still enjoys a wide reach on social media, where he routinely posts often baseless accusations at opposition personalities.
As of Wednesday night, his two posts regarding a certain Madam’s daughter have garnered a total of over 20,500 reactions, over 2,500 comments and 1,661 shares. — reviewed by Kristine Joy Patag and Franco Luna
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This story is part of the Philippine Fact-check Incubator, an Internews initiative to build the fact-checking capacity of news organizations in the Philippines and encourage participation in global fact-checking efforts
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