MISLEADING: Photo of ‘Typhoon Ompong relief operations’

(UPDATED)

Claim: An image shows boxes of relief goods from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) being unloaded from a military plane, and it was being used to show that the government is preparing for Typhoon Ompong. These relief goods will supposedly be delivered to affected areas like Cagayan, Isabela, Ifugao, Quezon, and Batanes.

The page Balitang Pilipinas posted the alleged photo on September 12, before Typhoon Ompong made landfall. It garnered at least 1,600 reactions, 208 comments, and 5,700 shares as of September 14.

Facebook user Krizette Laureta Chu also shared the claim, and praised the Duterte administration, comparing it to the response of the Aquino administration. 

Rating: MIXED

The facts: The photo used is from relief operations in October 2015 for Typhoon Lando victims.

A Google reverse image search shows the photo associated with “Government Gazette” which also shows the original article where the photo came from.

The photo came from an article in the officialgazette.gov.ph showing military, police personnel and firemen unloading relief goods from DSWD from an aircraft in Aurora.

Nonetheless, the DSWD is on red alert for Typhoon Ompong. The department prepared P872 million worth of aid and P710.8 million worth of food packs and non-food items. It has also prepositioned goods and set up emergency measures in affected areas.

On September 14, Chu apologized on Facebook for using a photo that did not match her caption.

The page Mga Balitang Pinas had also posted another false claim. Allegedly, a Chinese hospital ship is in the Philippines and ready to help victims of Ompong.

It turns out that the photos used are from a BBC article also about a Chinese ship with a relief team for Typhoon Haiyan victims in 2013, and from a Wikipedia page of the Chinese hospital ship Daishan Dao, the same ship in the BBC article.

Get reliable news regarding Typhoon Ompong from the coverage of news organizations like in Rappler’s #WeatherAlert page. — Miguel Imperial/Rappler.com

If you suspect a Facebook page, group, account, a website, or an article is spreading false information, let Rappler know by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.