MANILA, Philippines — A viral Facebook graphic falsely attributes to Filipino rapper Hev Abi a profane remark directed at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over his advice to buy buckets to collect rainwater ahead of El Niño.
In an October 17 Facebook post, the graphic attributed to Hev Abi a vulgar statement, saying he would make Marcos “suck” the rainwater he collected.
The quote in the graphic said:
Bongbong Marcos yung maiipon kong tubig ulan ipapahigop ko sayong taratando ka.
The graphic, posted by Facebook page State News Online, was accompanied by a caption supposedly contextualizing the rapper’s statement.
Part of the post’s caption read:
HEV ABI FIRES BACK AT THE PRESIDENT OVER BUCKET ADVICE
Filipino rapper Hev Abi took a swipe at President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. over the latter’s advice for Filipinos to prepare for the anticipated El Niño phenomenon, including the suggestion to buy buckets to store water in preparation for possible shortages.
Another Facebook account, Moto Zinio, shared a purported screenshot of the rapper’s post showing a red-background profile picture and the name “Hev Abi,” but no verification badge.
Rating: This is false.
Facts
Hev Abi did not release any such statement on his official Facebook page, and the alleged quote from the rapper was debunked by his record label.
Independent music label Urban Department PH flagged the graphic featuring Hev Abi’s supposed insults against Marcos as “fake” in a statement on October 19.
A graphic accompanying the label’s statement includes a screenshot of State News Online’s post with a “FAKE” stamp on top.
In its post, Urban Department PH also said any other accounts or statements found outside of the rapper’s official page “are not affiliated with nor endorsed by the artist,” and encouraged the public to be “vigilant” in engaging with or sharing content from “fake” or “illicit” accounts.
The label’s statement was shared on Hev Abi’s official Facebook page.
Meanwhile, the purported screenshot of Hev Abi’s post lacks the check mark or verified badge displayed on his official page.
Why we fact-checked this
Marcos drew ire on October 11 after advising the public to buy buckets to collect rainwater in preparation for possible water shortages ahead of the expected El Niño.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro defended the president's remarks and urged the public to take Marcos' advice seriously for El Niño preparations.
“Sineseryoso ng pangulo ang magaganap at nagaganap na at maaaring mag-worsen sa mga susunod na buwan. Ang bawat pagtalakay dito, ang bawat mensahe, ang bawat suggestion, ang bawat mga binibigay na aral sa atin ng gobyerno at ng pangulo, ito ay dapat na sineseryoso,” Castro said at an October 13 press briefing.
As of October 21, State News Online’s post has garnered more than 77,000 reactions, 20,000 comments and 3,000 shares. Meanwhile, Moto Zinio’s post has obtained at least 5,000 reactions, 300 comments and 200 shares.