Fact check: Is ‘Ang Probinsyano’ actor Jaime Fabregas still alive?

CLAIM: Several Facebook accounts claimed that Jaime Fabregas passed away.

Since last week, they posted “Rest in Peace” tributes to the “Ang Probinsyano” actor on the social networking site.

The posts were also accompanied by a collage of still images of Jaime as “Lolo Delfin” in episodes of the ABS-CBN action series.

Here’s a screenshot of a Facebook account that shared this tribute:

Some variations of these supposed tributes also contained emotional messages of condolences to Jaime’s family and friends.

RATING: These posts are fake.

FACTS

Jaime addressed his death hoax in a video on Instagram.

As further proof of life, the actor first showed his watch that tells the time stamp of the recording.

“Mga kababayan, ngayon ay June 16. 2023. Ako po ay buhay na buhay, nakikita niyo. Wag pong maniwala sa mga balita na ako ay pumanaw na,” he said.

In a separate post on June 17, Jaime advised the public to discern and fact-check rumors and allegations before sharing them online.

“Ang katotohanan ay lalabas kung bibigyan natin ng pagkakataon. Magtanong, magresearch. Hindi lang isang beses pero dalawa, tatlo, apat hanggang sa marating ang katotohanan,” he said.

The Facebook accounts also appeared to be only using their tribute posts as clickbait for affiliate pages of an e-commerce website.

Their posts carried links that redirect users to affiliate pages offering a variety of products. These include T-shirts, mugs, and toy clackers or lato-lato.

Moreover, there were also neither reports nor statements from family members and close friends to confirm Jaime’s passing even before the actor debunked the speculations himself.

Why it matters

Some of the Facebook accounts that posted the claim of Jaime’s death have followers that range between more than a hundred thousand and more than a million.

Their posts also garnered a lot of shares and comments on the platform.

Fact-checker VERA Files reported that three Facebook posts they flagged got over 61,000 interactions collectively.

As of writing, there are still pages and accounts on Facebook that talk about this false claim involving Jaime.

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This story is part of the Philippine Fact-check Incubator, an Internews initiative to build the fact-checking capacity of news organizations in the Philippines and encourage participation in global fact-checking efforts.

Interaksyon is part of #FactsFirstPH, a multi-sectoral initiative promoting truth in public space and demanding accountability for falsehoods. For those interested to join the initiative, email info@factsfirst.ph

Interaksyon is also a founding partner of Tsek.ph, a collaborative fact-checking project for the 2022 Philippine elections. It is an initiative of academe, civil society groups and media to counter disinformation and provide the public with verified information.

This piece is republished with permission from Interaksyon.