FALSE: President Duterte slams Angel Locsin over community pantry controversy

At a glance

• Claim: President Rodrigo Duterte got angry at actress Angel Locsin over the controversy surrounding her community pantry, according to a post on Facebook.
• Rating: FALSE
• The facts: Duterte has not made any statement about the community pantry that Angel Locsin organized. Duterte is also not in the video containing the claim.
• Why we fact-checked this: This claim gained at least 77,8000 reactions, 69,800 comments, and 14,300 shares a day after it was posted. The video has garnered more than 2 million views.

Complete details:

President Rodrigo Duterte got angry at actress and philanthropist Angel Locsin, who opened a community pantry in Quezon City, according to a video caption posted on the Facebook pages “Mhome” and “Philippine News.”

The live video, which was broadcasted on April 26, is titled “NAKAKAGULAT NA BALITA ! PRES DUTERTE RAFFY TULFO LOLA NAGALIT KAY ANGEL” (Shocking news! President Duterte, Raffy Tulfo, and grandmother angry at Angel Locsin). 

The post gained at least 77,800 reactions, 69,800 comments, and 14,300 shares a day after it was posted. The video itself has garnered more than 2 million views. According to CrowdTangle data, this post has been shared in at least 72 Facebook groups. 

This claim is false.

As of Tuesday, April 27, Duterte has not publicly made a statement or commented on the community pantry that was organized by Locsin.

The closest remark about community pantries from Malacañang was its statement on April 20 that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict should not impede the work of community pantries. 

Locsin, who rose to fame playing Darna in a TV series, sponsored a community pantry to celebrate her birthday on Friday, April 23. The idea was inspired by the community pantries that had sprouted in barangays across the country in a bid to help struggling Filipinos cope during the pandemic. 

Duterte is also not in the video containing the claim. Instead, the 20-minute video is a commentary by a Duterte supporter “Lola Liza,” who rants and blames Angel Locsin for the tragic death of 67-year-old Rolando dela Cruz, who lost consciousness while waiting for his turn to get goods at the actress’ community pantry.

Lola Liza also accuses Locsin and former congressman Neri Colmenares of being communists: “Sumusunod ka dyan sa tiyo mong komunista. Mga komunista kasi kayo. (You are following your uncle, who’s a communist. You are communists.)”

In 2020, Locsin repeatedly stated that neither she nor any member of her family is involved with the New People’s Army, the armed group of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Colmenares is Locsin’s nephew, and not uncle. 

This is also not the first time that Lola Liza has slammed in her video the women who are critical of the Duterte government. She has also ranted and commented about actress Liza Soberano, Vice President Leni Robredo, and youth congressional representative Sarah Elago.  – Jene-Anne Pangue/ Rappler.com 

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