FACT CHECK | Post about alleged victim of Martial Law airing dismay against Marcos is fake

May 23, 2022 , 04:00 PM

(May 23, 2022) – A social media page posted that a woman who claimed to be a victim of the brutal Martial Law complained about the win of presumptive president Bongbong Marcos Jr. in the 2022 elections.

The post is fake.

CLAIM:

Last May 19, a Facebook page named “Brutus” posted a photo of a woman allegedly named Erika Lakandula who appeared in an interview and contested the election of Marcos. Supposedly born in 1999, she allegedly studies at “Bagong Bangag University of the Philippines.”

“Nagpalabas ng press interview si Miss Erika Lakandula dahil sa pagkadismaya sa resulta, giit ni Erika, walang awa ang mga bumoto kay Bongbong,” read the post.

She was also quoted as saying: “Bakit niyo binoto si Bongbong? ‘Di niyo ba alam biktima ako ng Martial Law? Wala kayong awa sa amin.”

RATING: Fake

FACTS:

No interview with a person named Erika Lakandula occurred before the post was made. The Facebook page included a supposed link to a video of the made-up character but it only redirects to the website of an online shopping site. Her supposed school appears to be mocking the University of the Philippines.

It also used a photo of Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago. While the eyes were blurred, the other features of Elago can be clearly seen in the photo taken during a press conference at the Kamuning Bakery Cafe in Quezon City. It matches the photo taken by GMA News’ Joviland Rita in 2019.

It also appears that the page, which has a satirical orientation, was trying to make fun of the youth who are citing the abuses of the brutal Martial Law as a basis for criticizing the son of the late dictator. It’s evident in the last line of the post that reads: “Nakabasa lang ng libro, feeling biktima ng Martial Law.”

While the post was seemingly intended to be a joke, many followers of the page believed it was factual, based on the comments.

WHY THIS MATTERS:

Many Marcos loyalists have continued to reject the truth about the atrocities that happened under the gruesome Martial Law. More than 3,000 people died under the iron-fisted regime while 70,000 were imprisoned and 34,000 were tortured, according to Amnesty International.

Marcos, who earned 31 million votes, has refused to recognize the concerns raised by Martial Law victims, saying he can only apologize for what he actually did. Other supporters have also defended him for this, blurting their usual rhetoric that the sins of the father are not the sins of the son.

In the said post, many commenters also made fun of the youth who oppose the cruel Martial Law even if they weren’t born during that period yet. One sarcastically asked if the woman was reincarnated while another posited that she was either paid to attack Marcos or trying to be relevant.

Carmelo Victor Crisanto, the executive director of the Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission, said the younger generation should be educated about what happened during the difficult Martial Law to combat historical revisionism.

“Itong mga batang ito, they never lived through Martial Law (kaya) dapat sila ang maabot natin,” said Crisanto, as quoted by ABS-CBN News in an article last September.

Even the Philippine Historical Association made its position clear that historical distortion should not be accepted, noting that claims about history should be based on facts. Xiao Chua, the group’s public relations officer, said historians are not afraid of new perspectives as long as they have evidence.

“Ayaw natin ‘yung baseless, ‘yung sasabihin mo walang human rights violation, walang plunder na nangyari, walang mga pang-aabuso na pinabayaan—eh ‘yan ay nariyan lahat,” said Chua in an interview on the radio show of Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday.

So far, the fake post has garnered 21,000 reactions dominated by laughs, 11,000 comments, and more than 7,200 shares. The said Facebook page has more than 170,000 followers.

News5 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, e-mail info@factsfirst.ph. Message News 5’s Facebook page if you want to have any claims fact-checked. Read our fact-checking policy here.

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