NEDA not consulted on ‘Duterte Legacy’ numbers — Pernia
MANILA, Philippines — The country’s socioeconomic planning agency was not consulted when the government’s lead communications arm presented the administration’s midterm accomplishments during its “Duterte Legacy” campaign in January, the state's chief economist said.
This as the Presidential Communications Operations Office received backlash from critics who say some data on the government’s “achievements” were not presented properly and needed clarifications.
In an interview with ONE News’ “The Chiefs,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the legacy numbers that were presented by PCOO during its campaign were “not shown to me for comments.”
Pernia, who heads the National Economic and Development Authority, also said some data should have been presented with proper context.
Research group IBON Foundation was among those who called out the PCOO for “reverting to a really crude propaganda tactic of repeating a lie often enough for people to believe it.”
IBON’s criticism triggered retaliation from PCOO Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, who tried to red-tag the think tank and accused it of working “to overthrow governments.”
FROM INTERAKSYON: PCOO’s Lorraine Badoy tried to red-tag a think tank on a show. Here’s what happened next.
“Even that 64 airports, of course, that’s ambiguous,” IBON Executive Director Sonny Africa, referring to one of Duterte’s legacy numbers, told “The Chiefs” in a separate interview.
“But the impression that it’s trying to create is under Duterte’s watch, 64 airports were built. If we check government data, there are over 80 airports in the country. Are you saying 64 of these 80 were built under Duterte?” Africa said. “It’s a sort of pattern of disinformation using government funds.”
Prior to questions over the "Duterte Legacy" data it released, the PCOO previously drew flak for some blunders in the past which it admitted and apologized for.
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