Cash distribution ‘text blast’ fake news – Belmonte

MANILA, Philippines — Reelectionist Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Tuesday slammed those spreading false information claiming that her campaign will engage in vote-buying activities.

Belmonte described as fake news the “text blasts” urging voters to wear green and proceed to a designated area where P1,000 will be distributed.

The text message claimed that the money would come from Belmonte and District 1 congressional candidate Arjo Atayde, whose campaign color is green.

“This is a fake text that aims to deceive our QCitizens and trigger conflict. It did not come from the local government or any person serving the city,” read an advisory from Belmonte’s office. “We hope that everyone will be enlightened and not fall for this kind of deceit. We will not allow dirty politics to ruin the development of Quezon City.”

A separate advisory from Belmonte’s Facebook page stated that there will be no distribution of P1,000 to those who will wear green along Hereford street, Congressional Avenue.

“Do not believe in this text message that is being spread by malicious individuals to malign Mayor Joy Belmonte and Atayde,” read the advisory.

?The National Telecommunications Commission prohibits “text blasts” under Republic Act 3846 or the Radio Control Law.

According to the National Privacy Commission, sending unsolicited text messages and collecting mobile numbers for such purposes violate the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

In the 2019 elections, several Quezon City residents received text messages, which spread defamatory remarks against Belmonte.

Her opponent at the time was Bingbong Crisologo, whose son Anthony Peter “Onyx” Crisologo is running against Atayde in the May 9 elections.

Belmonte has repeatedly called out false information about her and the different initiatives of the city government.

In her speech during the kickoff of her reelection bid on Friday, she noted how “fake news” is being used to discredit the programs and achievements of the city government in her first term as mayor.

“Our good performance against the pandemic is proof that the fake news that others are spreading against us have no basis,” she said. “That is a bigger challenge that we face: every minute, someone is spreading false information against us.”