News Roundup 12 October 2022

News and Updates

Oct 12, 20224 min Read

9 of 10 Filipinos consider fake news a problem |INQUIRER.NETClose to 90 percent of adult Filipinos believe fake news is a problem, a sentiment reflected nationwide and across all socioeconomic classes, according to a recent Pulse Asia Research survey that also pointed to social media “influencers” and journalists as the top culprits. The Sept. 17-21 survey released on Tuesday said a majority (58 percent) of Filipinos nationwide see bloggers and vloggers—the social media influencers—as responsible for “spreading false information” about government and politics. They were followed by journalists (40 percent), national politicians (37 percent), local politicians (30 percent), leaders of civic or nongovernmental organizations (15 percent), businessmen (11 percent) and academics (4 percent). For a media scholar, the survey indicated that the Philippine press had “trust issues and credibility issues” at a time when the public believed that the mainstream media served only as a mouthpiece for the elite and did not accurately reflect the true pulse of the masses. While Filipinos somehow recognize that vloggers and bloggers or content creators and influencers “are getting out of hand with their disrespect for the facts, (a) more level-headed approach is needed because fake news may differ among respondents,” said University of the Philippines communications professor Danilo Arao. “This could explain why responsible journalists get unfairly judged as the truth they report gets mistaken for lies, at the same time that the lies of irresponsible colleagues get ascribed to them,” Arao said. This view of the media will remain as long as certain news organizations “perpetuate state-sponsored disinformation like denialism and Red-tagging,” he said. Pulse Asia polled 1,200 respondents. Its survey had a margin of error of plus-minus 2.8 percentage points for national percentages. The poll was taken as some “key developments” were reported in the news prior to or during the survey period. These include the order signed by President Marcos lifting the mandate on wearing face masks in open and noncrowded outdoor areas; the 50th anniversary of the declaration of martial law by the President’s late father and namesake; Mr. Marcos’ state visits to Singapore and Indonesia where he said he obtained P805 billion in investment pledges; and the depreciation of the Philippine peso to a record low of P58 to the dollar. The survey results showed that 90 percent of respondents had heard, read or watched fake news, with 21 percent saying they were exposed to fake news at least once a day. A fourth of the respondents said they encountered fake news a few times a month while another 26 percent said a few times a week and 17 percent said once a week.

PDEG: P6.7 billion shabu may be from China | PHILSTAR.COMThe 990 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu valued at P6.7 billion seized in Manila over the weekend may have originated from China, an official of the police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) said yesterday. Lt. Lord Vincent Cortez, PDEG public information officer, said this was their initial assessment. “The shabu was wrapped in Chinese tea bags, like those we confiscated in past operations. Most probably this came from China,” he said in a message on Viber. Cortez, however, pointed out that an investigation is ongoing to determine exactly where the illegal drugs came from. “We will look into other possibilities. That is why we are still conducting a deeper inquiry on this matter,” he said. One of the suspects arrested in connection with the illegal drugs is M/Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr., a PDEG operative. Mayo is being interrogated to determine if other police officials are involved. The nearly one ton of shabu is considered the largest drug haul of any law enforcement agency in the country.

Teacher sued for murder of student | PHILSTAR.COMThe police filed Tuesday a criminal case against a teacher who allegedly masterminded the murder last week of a student in Tampakan town in South Cotabato. The teacher, Rustom Pedrosa Baloyo, 33, had an affair with the slain male student, Jade Vince Eribal, that went awry when he learned that the victim had a girlfriend. Captain Jucint Aput, Tampakan police chief, said Wednesday they have filed a murder case against Baloyo based findings of investigators that he had the 22-year-old Eribal killed with a knife by an accomplice last October 8 in one of the barangays in the municipality. Eribal was attacked with a knife by a motorcycle driver whom he had reportedly asked to accompany him somewhere. His cadaver, with fatal stab wounds, was found in a grassy spot next day. Aput said investigators have established, with the help of relatives and witnesses, that the suspect, now subject of a police manhunt, was paid by Baloyo to kill Eribal. He said they also have the mobile phone of Baloyo containing messages about the criminal plot that he and the suspect had hatched. Aput said Brig. Gen. Jamili Macaraeg, director of the Police Regional Office-12, had ordered them in the municipal police force and the South Cotabato Provincial Police Office to cooperate in searching for the suspect who had escaped.


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