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Yen Makabenta fell for fake news.
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The Manila Times columnist used fake news site for his column.
Veteran columnist of The Manila Times Yen Makabenta is currently a hot topic on social media after falling for a fake news.
In his columns Friday, September 23, Makabenta wrote US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Hayley’s purported praise on President Duterte’s way of governing the country.
He said the “superstar of the Trump cabinet” has “placed her voice squarely on the side of President Duterte and the Philippines.”
He also quoted Hayley’s remark saying “We must give President Duterte the space to run his nation. We must respect their independence … It is not in our purview to decide administrative issues for the Philippines…”.
His column was quickly disseminated by Duterte supporter pages. Even government officials and former government leaders close to the administration has fall for Makabenta’s column and shared it on their wall.
DILG Usec. Emily Padilla shared the articles especially the quote on her Facebook page without knowing that it was fake.
Also former DILG Sec. Rafael Alunan III has fell for Makabenta’s piece.
But the internet, being a large repository of information, can be easily searched and probed.
Thus, netizens immediately pointed out Makabenta’s article as based on fake news.
ABS-CBNnews.com’s Jojo Malig called out The Manila Times for publishing Makabenta’s column without verifying its correctness. He then shared the article to whom Makabenta based his column which is a fake news site pretending to be Aljazeera news.
Theatre actor Bart Guingona also posted the busted column calling it a shame.
“And this is quoted by columnist Yen Makabenta who calls the ambassador “superstar.” Shame.”
PH’s Aljazeera correspondent Jamela Alindogan also commented on the column saying “someone has fallen from fake news.
Writer Miguel Syjuco meanwhile posted a question.
To which netizens reacted.
