FALSE: Mainstream media ‘does not report’ on arrival of new PNR train sets

Claim:  Mainstream media has not reported on the arrival of the new sets of trains for the Philippine National Railways (PNR), according to Facebook page JP Fajura. (READ: 6 new railways to look out for)

The post dated November 27 claimed, “iFlex ko lang yung mga hindi ibinabalita ng Main Stream Media (Just want to share what the mainstream media does not report about).”  

Rappler spotted the post via Facebook Claim Check, a social media tool that flags viral posts that potentially bear false information. Social media tracking tool Crowdtangle showed the claim had been reposted on Facebook 21 times, accumulating 3,378 shares, 3,864 reactions, and 247 comments on the platform. 

Some of the Facebook pages which have re-posted the claim are Filipino News Central and Duterte Community News. According to their About sections, they are purported “media” or “news and media website.”

Rating: FALSE 

The facts: There were earlier news reports about the procurement of two types of trains for the PNR from Indonesia. When the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced the arrival of 6 rail cars in November 2019, Pilipino Star Ngayon and Inquirer.net reported about it.

Inquirer.net published their article titled ‘6 new PNR train cars for delivery next week‘ on November 29, while Pilipino Star Ngayon’s report, ‘6 na bagong bagon ng PNR darating sa Disyembre‘, was released on November 27.

According to the DOTr post dated November 27, the two diesel multiple units (DMU), which are composed of 3 rail cars each, were ready to depart from the Surabaya Port in Indonesia. 

On November 30, the two DMUs were already loaded and shipped by vessel MV Zea Challenger, as announced by PNR on its official Facebook page. The DMUs are expected to arrive in the Port of Manila on December 9. 

Below is the post of the DOTr announcing the arrival of the new sets of train. It is also noteworthy that Facebook page JP Fajura posted the claim at 4:48 PM, 7 minutes after the DOTr posted its announcement. The claim was only added to the original post of DOTr, which several Duterte Facebook fan pages have re-posted and shared.

Since May 2018, media have been aggressive in reporting about the purchase of new sets of trains. In January 2018, GMA News reported about the contract signing between Indonesia and the Philippines for the purchase of two P485.3-million DMU train sets. In May 2018, Inquirer.net and Business World reported about the additional purchase of the 4 DMUs and 3 diesel-hydraulic locomotives (DHL) amounting to P2.37 billion. 

Even ABS-CBN’s late-night newscast Bandila had a news segment about it. It was uploaded to YouTube on May 28, 2018. 

The PNR acquired DMUs and DHLs from Indonesian state-owned company PT Industri Kereta Api (PT INKA) in 2018. In total, the Philippines has ordered 37 rail cars which will complete the 7 sets of new trains with 4-car and 5-car configurations.  – Glenda Marie Castro/Rappler.com

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