FALSE: Mainstream media ‘did not report’ about Marawi temporary shelters

Claim: Facebook user Dizon Macalibon Pangako posted on February 28 in the group Tulfo Brothers Worldwide that mainstream media did not report about the temporary shelters built in Marawi, a city razed to the ground after extremists attacked it in May 2017.

The caption of the post reads: “Ito na po ang development sa Marawi City sa ilalim ng administrasyon Duterte… Nakakalungkot lang po! Walang ibinalita ang mainstream media sa magandang nagawa ng gobyerno kasalukuyan. Sadyang ibinulag ng media ang katotohonan sa mamamayang Pilipino. Wala na tayong maaasahan sa mga local media bayaran at bias magbabalita dahil hawak ng mga oposisyon korap!”

(This is now the development of Marawi City under the administration of Duterte… It’s just saddening! The mainstream media has not been reporting anything about the current good deeds of the government. The media is simply hiding the truth from Filipinos. There’s nothing to be trusted from local media because they are paid hacks and biased in reporting and are beholden to the corrupt opposition.)

Photos of finished temporary shelters and construction workers in Marawi accompanied the post. 

A reader e-mailed Pangako’s post to Rappler for verification. The post has so far garnered 17,000 reactions, 274 comments, and 46,000 shares since February 28. 

RG Doy Rodrigo, the original source, wrote the post 7 months ago – in October 2018. Aside from Pangako, Facebook pages such as Amin News and Pastilan, kuyawa nimo oi have also shared Rodrigo’s post. 

Rating: FALSE

The facts: A quick search showed that majority of mainstream media organizations in the Philippines reported on the temporary shelters in Marawi. 

In fact, at least one of the photos in the false claim was sourced from the Philippine Star. The Business World* also credited the Philippine Star as the source when it reused the photo.

The photo is part of an article about temporary shelters that were being eyed for evacuees and which the Philippine Star published on December 7, 2017. 

Broadcast giants ABS-CBN and GMA7 also kept an eye on the building of the temporary shelters. ANC’s “The World Tonight,” in November 2017, reported that President Rodrigo Duterte has inaugurated “Bahay Pag-Asa,” temporary shelters situated in Barangay Bito Buadi Itowa, Marawi. In May 2018, a segment of “24 Oras,” GMA7’s news program, showed that around 800 locals have already been transferred to the government’s transitional housing. 

The Philippine Daily Inquirer also wrote about the shelters. In December 2017, Inquirer published a story about then-presidential spokesperson Harry Roque assuring residents that the shelters would have amenities such as electricity and water. The article was published along with a photo of the finished shelters. 

Rappler also wrote about the government’s initial plans on constructing temporary shelters in the war-torn city in July 2017, as well as the turnover of the shelters to the first 600 families in December 2017. It also published a report about the rehabilitation of Marawi in March 2019 (READ: Marawi residents say Del Rosario should resign if rehab target not met)

MindaNews, meanwhile, is among the local news outlets that reported on the shelters. For instance, it published an article in January 2018 which reported that 150 transitional shelters have already been turned over to Marawi evacuees. The article was also accompanied by a photo showing workers who were installing water pipes for the shelters. 

The Facebook group Tulfo Brothers Worldwide currently has 145,437 members as of this writing. Rappler has previously fact checked a false claim circulated via this group. (READ: HOAX: Philippines ‘acquires’ new amphibious tanks from Japan) – Addie Pobre/ Rappler.com

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

*Editor’s Note: Rappler initially reported it was Business Mirror which republished the photo from Philippine Star. The article has been updated to credit Business World.