Claim:
The Spain Medical Doctors Association is impressed by President Rodrigo Duterte’s response against COVID-19.
Several Facebook users circulated a graphic containing a quote from a certain Velma Dinkley, MD of the association. The quote reads, “President Duterte’s effort against the COVID-19 amazes the Spain Medical Doctors Association. I wonder why the Filipinos shown (sic) hatred to him despite the efforts he gave. The Filipinos should appreciate him because it is rare for a country to have a good leader.”
A reader sent this claim to Rappler for verification. Facebook Claim Check, a tool that detects dubious content, flagged at least 10 posts containing this graphic. The post with the most number of shares gained 2,600 reactions, 165 comments, and 7,400 shares as of writing.
While some commenters on this post were doubtful about its veracity, many seemed to believe that this quote was true.
Rating: FALSE
The facts:
Searches do not yield any results for a “Spain Medical Doctors Association.” Velma Dinkley is a fictional character in the Scooby-Doo franchise.
A reverse image search also revealed that the photo used in the quote card is one of Najwa Nimri, who plays the character Alicia Sierra in the series Money Heist.
The quote card also used the logos of Banat By and Mocha Uson Blog, but Banat By posted saying it was “fake news.”
This graphic circulated on July 30, but it was dated July 31. In addition, no reports contain this quote.
Rappler had earlier debunked other false quotes by personalities and fictional characters praising Duterte for his response to the coronavirus outbreak. – Loreben Tuquero/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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