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FALSE: New Zamboanga City EO fines P1,500 for not wearing face masks, shields

Rappler.com

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FALSE: New Zamboanga City EO fines P1,500 for not wearing face masks, shields
The existing EO released in February fines violators of the mandatory wearing of face masks and shields, depending on the number of offenses, but none of the fines is P1,500
At a glance:
  • Claim: The Zamboanga City government released a new executive order (EO) that imposes fine of P1,500 on violators of the mandatory wearing of face mask and face shield.
  • Rating: FALSE
  • The facts: The Zamboanga City government clarified that it did not release a new EO. The existing EO, which was released in February, fines violators of the mandatory wearing of face mask and face shield, depending on the number of offenses, but none of the fines is P1,500.
  • Why we fact-checked this: This claim is circulating on messaging apps. Claim Check, Facebook’s monitoring tool, also flagged multiple posts containing this claim.
Complete details:

A false message that said the Zamboanga City government released a new executive order (EO) that imposes a fine of P1,500 on violators of the mandatory wearing of face mask and face shield. The supposed EO circulated on messaging apps and social media as early as Wednesday, April 14.

The message read: “ANNOUNCEMENT!!! New!!! Executive Order has been released by the OPISINA DEL ALKALDE and [will] be implemented starting today. That Non-Wearing of Face Masks or Face Shields will be Caught and Fined P1,500 in any part of the City or in respective Barangay & establishments. For this is because the COVID-19 cases is (sic) still rising and getting worst (sic). Please COOPERATE Zamboanguenos. Gracias Y Via Con Dios Atodos.”

This is false.

The Zamboanga City government did not release a new EO to penalize those who do not wear face masks and face shields. Instead, it said that there is an existing EO but the fine stated there is not P1,500.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the city government of Zamboanga denied the circulating message and said, “There is no truth to reports that an executive order will be issued by the mayor that will impose a fine of P1,500 on individuals not wearing face mask or face shield anywhere in the city.”

It added that Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Isabelle “Beng” Climaco-Salazar issued EO No. 625-2021 on February 9 (as amended by EO 626), which set the penalties for not wearing face masks and face shields in the city. The fines are P500 for the first offense, P2,000 for the second offense, and P5,000 for the third and succeeding offenses.

The local government also urged its citizens to avoid spreading unreliable and unverified information “as it sows panic and confusion.”

Claim Check, Facebook’s monitoring tool that identifies potentially dubious posts shared across the platform, flagged at least 4 posts containing this claim. – Pauline Macaraeg/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.

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