Teddy Baguilat apologizes to Rep. Sandro Marcos over fake “red onions” quote
Former Ifugao congressman Teddy Baguilat Jr. apologized to Rep. Sandro Marcos after he shared on Twitter a statement supposedly made by the presidential son which turned out to be satire.
“Sorry I have to be more cautious sa fake news. I think the quote attributed to Cong Sandro that I commented is not true. I apologize. My bad. For us who fight misinformation should take the lead in verifying info we shared. I haven’t. Sorry po,’ said Baguilat in his mea culpa tweet.
Earlier, Baguilat shared on Twitter a “quote card” of Marcos who purportedly advised Filipinos to use white onions if they find prices of red onions too expensive. In the same tweet, Baguilat said “In short, ang gusto nila sabihin, magtiis tayo. Pag ganyan ang problem-solving skills ng leaders natin, kawawa tayo. Sana solusyonan kung bakit nahihirapan ang farmers kya nagmahal ang sibuyas.”
In an Instagram story, Marcos called out the said tweet as fake news and denied ever making the statement or giving any interview on the matter.
The quote card graphic included a logo of Sonshine Media Network Inc. (SMNI), a broadcasting company owned by Marcos supporter, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. SMNI issued a notice to the public “strongly condemn(ing) the unauthorized and malicious news of its logo in fake news items.
The brouhaha drew mixed reactions from netizens. The irony was not lost on Marcos supporters who castigated the pro-opposition sectors who cry foul over fake news and disinformation time and again. Others saw the incident as a demonstration that anybody, ordinary citizen or legislator, can fall prey to false information and that extreme vigilance is necessary in order to combat its spread. Still many netizens expressed admiration for Baguilat for owning up to his mistake.
