Fact Check: ANGAT BUHAY LAHAT page not associated with Robredo’s Angat Buhay
MANILA, Philippines — While thousands are left displaced due to super typhoon Karding (international name: Noru), an unauthorized Facebook page is collecting donations for those affected as it parades as former Vice President Leni Robredo’s NGO.
CLAIM: ANGAT BUHAY LAHAT is collecting typhoon donations via GCash as it claims to be associated with Robredo’s Angat Buhay NGO.
RATING: This is misleading.
What it says
Angat Buhay Executive Editor Raffy Magno called out the Facebook page for collecting donations while posing as the NGO, asking the public to report it.
According to the screenshot posted by Magno, ANGAT BUHAY LAHAT is leading the public to send help to typhoon-hit victims to a GCash named after a certain “Nardo S. Duran.” Those who donate are also asked to send the screenshot of their receipt.
What they left out
According to its page transparency details, the ANGAT BUHAY LAHAT page was created in March 18 this year and was initially named “Kakampink.” The page is run by someone based in the Philippines.
The page’s name was updated to “Volunteers for Leni” in April and a month later, on May 13, it was changed to “ANGAT BUHAY LAHAT.” It did not disclose that it is not authorized by Robredo or her team to collect donations on the NGO’s behalf.
Aside from collecting money from the public, it was also posting updates of Robredo’s official typhoon relief efforts, while asking for more donations through its own GCash account.
However, it turns out that this is not the first time the page is collecting donations from the public. It was also collecting donations during campaign period via the same GCash account, saying proceeds will be used to support volunteers of Robredo's presidential campaign.
Essential context
The super typhoon affected 16,476 families or 60,817 individuals, according to the latest report by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Karding also left eight dead, while three more people are missing.
The latest report also logged 51,811 individuals residing across 976 evacuation centers. Several groups have organized their own donation drives to reach out to those affected by the typhoon, including Robredo’s Angat Buhay NGO.
Why does this matter?
As of writing, the Facebook page already has over 9,100 likes and 10,000 followers.
While it has already taken down some of its posts seekingdonations, individuals behind the page might have already taken advantage of those who just wanted to help either Robredo’s presidential campaign or typhoon victims. — Kaycee Valmonte
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