Facebook blocks Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David for alleged phishing

MANILA, Philippines — Accused by the Facebook administrator of engaging in “phishing,” Caloocan City Bishop Pablo Virgilio David was blocked from his own account for two hours last Thursday. 

CBCPNews, the official news service provider of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), reported David was unable to access his own Facebook account hours after he posted his statement defending his mother, who was called a “whore” by President Duterte. 

David said he lost access to his social media account for around two hours last April 4 because the Facebook administration thought he was engaged in “phishing” activities.

“I was blocked. I got some advice on how to revive it,” David added.

In a speech last April 2, Duterte accused David of attacking him from the church pulpit. David, however, denied the allegations. “The pulpit is never for that purpose,” he said.

As of Thursday afternoon, David’s post already got more than 7,000 shares and around 11,000 likes.

In defense of his mother Bienvenida Siongco David, who passed away in year 2000, the prelate said his late mother was given a Gintong Ina Award and did not deserve to be called a “whore” by Duterte.

“Our family does not expect anyone in government to give her recognition for her immense contribution in nation-building. But we do not expect anyone either, to insult her memory and call her a whore. She does not deserve it,” David said. 

He also praised his mother for successfully raising his 12 siblings as productive citizens of the country.

David said his mother’s effort did not end in vain and none of her children became a liability to the country. 

“She did all she could, to make sure that, even after she was widowed at age of 58, she would be able to get all 13 of us to finish college and to practice our professions decently as productive citizens of this country,” David said.