FALSE: Priest’s homily in support of BBM-Sara campaign

At a glance

• Claim: Priest’s homily in support of BBM-Sara campaign.
• Rating: FALSE
• The facts: Father Jowel Gatus has issued a categorical denial that he is affiliated with any political party or candidate. He called on the public to report videos wherein his homily has been used for advancing political gain.
• Why we fact-checked this: A Facebook post with this claim has over 89,000 shares and 32,000 reactions.

Complete details

The homily of Father Jowel Jomarsus Gatus of Our Lady of Holy Rosary Parish has been edited with the text, “BBMSARA HOMILIA NI PADER” (BBMSARA father’s homily) featured prominently on top of the video. 

The video also features photos of the late dictator’s son, presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. Next to them was a photo of presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo. The part of the priest’s homily that was included was about cautioning parishioners against criticizing and judging others as a way to uplift themselves. 

These claims are false. 

On January 30, 2022, Father Jowel Gatus, through his Facebook page, categorically denied that he is affiliated with any political party or candidate. He has asked viewers to report any misuse of the video of his homily.

The homily that the manipulated video used can be found on his YouTube channel. In his homily, Gatus urged his parishioners to be more generous in complimenting one another. 

Tsek.ph, a consortium of academics and members of media led by the University of the Philippines, has found that Bongbong Marcos has the most number of posts that feature disinformation seeking to revamp his track record and his leadership qualities. 

The consortium also found that presidential aspirant Leni Robredo has been the biggest victim of disinformation. 

Check out our other fact-check articles on Bongbong Marcos and the Marcoses here. – Renzo Arceta/Rappler.com

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