FACT-CHECK | Twitter quote card on Senator Villar claiming the family buys into ABS-CBN is a fabrication

January 27, 2022 , 10:05 PM

(January 27, 2022) – A quote card supposedly from ABS-CBN News that has been circulating on social media is suggesting a senator was hitting back at critics after one of the country’s richest families had “bought” the Lopez-owned media conglomerate.

But the quote card was altered not only to defend the family of Senator Cynthia Villar after the telecommunications regulatory agency awarded ABS-CBN’s frequency to Villar’s little known broadcast company, but also to take a swipe of Vice President Leonor Robredo who said she worked at least 18 hours a day.

There was an original quote card from ABS-CBN in 2020 but Villar was talking about healthcare workers who were opposing the government’s quarantine restrictions. Villar never commented on the broadcast frequency and the family did not buy into ABS-CBN’s shares.

Villar has not yet issued a statement regarding the takeover of ABS-CBN’s frequencies as of writing. The quote is fabricated.

CLAIM:
A number of Facebook and Twitter accounts posted a quote card with the ABS-CBN News logo showing an alleged quote from Cynthia Villar, claiming that she clapped back at critics who allegedly reacted negatively to her family’s takeover of ABS-CBN.

The earliest traceable post that includes the quote card came from a Twitter account named @rene_twilight.

“Eh, ano ngayon kung bilhin namin ang ABS-CBN. [sic] May pera naman kami. Nag susumikap [sic] kami sa trabaho. Yung iba jan [sic], 18 hours daw, pero wala ka makita kahit isang eyebag. Ano siya Robot? [sic]” the quote read.

The quote appears to be a veiled swipe at Vice President Leonor Robredo, who said in a presidential interview last weekend that she was working 18 hours a day on average.

RATING: FABRICATED

FACTS:
The Villars did not take over ABS-CBN, but rather two of the frequencies previously used by ABS-CBN. Advanced Media Broadcasting System (AMBS) Inc, owned by a company where Villar’s son Paolo holds a controlling stake, was granted provisional authority to operate a digital TV in Metro Manila using Channel 16. They were also given a temporary permit to broadcast over Channel 2.

None of the Villar family has also issued a statement on the NTC’s move as of writing, and ABS-CBN has not published a post with the quote card on its social media channels.

The quote card is also inconsistent with the design that ABS-CBN News uses on social media, and shows signs of being edited – likely from a legitimate quote card from the news organization that shows Villar with a different quote.

Usually included in ABS-CBN’s quote cards, under the quote, is a brief context and the date when a quote was originally issued, which is absent in this card. A portion of a watermark of ABS-CBN’s logo was also cut off around the area where the date is usually placed, likely from erasing the date and context. The typeface and text alignment also do not match with the news organization’s style.

WHY IT MATTERS: As of writing, the earliest tweet garnered 1,352 likes, 472 retweets, and 227 comments. Some of the reposts on Facebook also showed thousands of reactions, with one garnering over 3,500 reactions. (MM)

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.

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