FACT CHECK | Post questioning 412K attendees in Robredo’s rally in Pasay lacks context

April 25, 2022 , 03:21 PM

(April 25, 2022) – Some posts are questioning the veracity of the estimated number of attendees in the rally of Vice President Leni Robredo in Pasay last Saturday by comparing the figure with the population of the city.

The posts lack context.

CLAIM:

An online page supporting former senator Bongbong Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio cast doubts on the approximately 412,000 attendees in Robredo’s rally.

It shared a photo comparing the total with the population of Pasay estimated at more than 440,600.

“Talino din ng organizers ni ma’am. Pati sanggol siguro kasama na dito,” wrote JapPh in the caption.

RATING: Lacks context

FACTS:

On Saturday, Robredo marked her 57th birthday together with her supporters who trooped to Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay to join her in what turned out to be her camp’s biggest rally so far for the 2022 elections.

Organizers of the event said the attendees were around 412,000.

None of the organizers claimed that the attendees were exclusively from Pasay, so it is faulty to compare the estimated attendance to the locality’s population. Many of the supporters were even proud that they came from various areas in Metro Manila and other provinces.

Even in past elections, rallies have never been exclusive to the residents of a particular locality.

Robredo, an independent presidential candidate, arrived in the evening but her supporters were already there hours before. Volunteers went as early as Friday night to decorate the venue. Some also distributed free food, water, loot bags, and other items even before the event started.

Big-name celebrities, including Vice Ganda, John Arcilla, Maricel Soriano, Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Gary Valenciano, and Cherry Pie Picache among others, showed up to express their support for Robredo. Superstar actresses Kathryn Bernardo and Liza Soberano also gave video greetings to the opposition leader.

On Monday, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) issued a statement that claimed that the attendees of Robredo’s rally were only around 70,000 to 80,000. Earlier reports quoted the NCRPO as saying that the estimate count was 90,000 to 100,000.

WHY THIS MATTERS:

Other supporters of Marcos are also using the same logic to dispute the crowd estimate provided by organizers. In another post, a netizen claimed that the mentioned number of attendees was “impossible,” citing the population and registered voters in Pasay.

It was also the same reasoning used by critics during Robredo’s rally in Pasig last March which drew roughly 137,000 supporters.

Robredo, who continues to trail Marcos in surveys, has been frequently targeted by false or misleading information, making her the top victim of fake news, according to independent fact-checking network Tsek.PH. The late dictator’s son, meanwhile, was the one who benefited the most from fake news.

JapPh’s post has garnered 33,000 reactions, 1,300 comments, and 15,000 shares. JapPh restricted those who can comment on the post.

News 5 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.

Privacy Statement

Our Privacy Commitment

TV5 Network Inc. values and respects your privacy. We are committed to safeguarding your personal data in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules and regulations.

We have developed a Privacy Policy that adopts and observes appropriate standards for personal data protection. While our Privacy Policy sets out the general principles governing the collection, use, and disclosure of our users’ personal information, our Privacy Commitment seeks to inform you more about TV5’s privacy practices.

Why do we collect your personal information (as applicable)?

We may collect and maintain basic information about you as site user of TV5 sites for the following purposes:

To deliver news and updates on current events, sports, esports and entertainment;
To share livestreams of news and sports events;
To understand our viewers’ needs and preferences;
To meet legal and regulatory requirements; and
To perform other processes or disclosures that are required to comply with pertinent laws, rules, or regulations.

Where do we get your personal information?

There are several ways we collect your personal information.

Information that you personally provided.

Most of the personal information we have are those that you have provided us when you:
- Register to our programs or services;
- Inquired, filed a complaint or requested for our services;
- Took part in our research and surveys; and/or
- Became our Partner, Vendor, Contractor or Supplier.

Information we collect during your engagement with us

We also collect information as you use our products and services, like:
- Viewing our websites;
- Activities that are being tracked by our website cookies;
- Calling our hotline;
- Using our apps, websites, and self-service channels and portals; and/or
- Joining our promos, prize raffles, or rewards and loyalty programs.

Information we collect from other sources

Other means of collection of information may be through:
- Our market research initiatives;
- When you visit and use our websites and mobile application; and
- Subsidiaries, affiliates, and third-party business partners to whom you have given consent to share your information to us.

When do we disclose personal information?

There may be instances when we are required to share the information you provided us. In such cases, we ensure that your personal information will be disclosed on a confidential manner, through secure channels and in compliance with the Data Privacy Act and other privacy laws.

We will never share, rent, or sell your personal information to third parties outside of TV5 except in special cases where you have given consent, and in cases described in our privacy policy.

In some instances, we may be required to disclose your personal information to our agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, business partners and other third-party agencies and service providers as part of our regular business operations and for the provision of our programs and services. This means we might share your information with our service providers, contractors, and professional advisers who help us provide our services.

How we protect your personal information

The integrity, confidentiality, and security of your information is important to us. We have implemented technical, organizational, and physical security measures that are designed to protect your information from unauthorized or fraudulent access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, and other unlawful activities.

We also put in effect the following safeguards:

We keep and protect your information using a secured server behind a firewall, encryption and security controls;
We keep your information only for as long as it is necessary for us to (a) provide the products and services that you avail from us, (b) for our legitimate business purposes, (c) to comply with pertinent laws, and (d) for special cases that will require the exercise or defense of legal claims;
We limit the access to your information only to qualified and authorized personnel who are trained to handle your information with strict confidentiality;
We undergo regular audits and rigorous testing of our infrastructure’s security protocols to ensure your data is always protected;
We promptly notify you and the National Privacy Commission when sensitive personal information that may, under the circumstances, be used to enable identity fraud are reasonably believed to have been acquired by an unauthorized person; and
We let you update your information securely to keep our records accurate.

TV5 will not collect, use, or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than the purpose that you may have given your consent for.

What are your choices?

We make sure that we have your consent to continue to collect, use, and disclose your personal information for the purposes that we have identified. We want you to know that you may object or withdraw your consent and/or edit your consent preferences at any time.

If you wish to have access to the personal information in our custody or if you think that the personal information you provided is incomplete, or otherwise inaccurate, you may get in touch with our Data Protection Officer through the contact details provided below. In some instances, we may request for supporting documents or proof before we effect requested changes.

Data Protection Officer
TV5 Network Inc.
Reliance corner Sheridan Streets
Mandaluyong City
tv5dataprivacy@tv5.com.ph

What happens when there are changes in our Policy?

From time to time, we may update our privacy policy and practices to comply with changes in applicable laws and regulatory requirements, adapt to new technologies and protocols, and align with the best practices of the industry.

You will be provided notices if the changes are significant and, if we are required by law, we will obtain your updated consent.