Rating: TRUE
Why we fact-checked this: Presidential candidate tweeted in August 2021: “After the earthquake, I couldn’t sleep thinking that our national debt has ballooned to P11.07T. Each one of us is now in debt by P100K.” An article from trending balita.online and pinoytrendingnews.net (https://pinoytrendingnews.net/on-lacsons-tweet-each…/) which also came on August 2021, however, surfaced in most FB pages of a presidential candidate and garnered new comments on the matter.
The facts: From their “news articles”, they quoted pro-Bongbong Marcos blogger and radio host Mark Lopez saying that Lacson’s tweet is “agitprop or agitation propaganda.” Lopez said that the tweet lacks context and “ang sole purposer lang is gimbalin ang taumbayan at palabasin na super lubog na tayo sa utang.” Lopez cited President Duterte’s infrastructure program as the reaosn for the high debt. “Ito ay panloloko at panlilinlang sa taumbayan, na kaya lang gawin ng isang politiko na wala talagang malasakit sa ating kapakanan. This does not deserve our vote,” Lopez added.
Instead of reeling, Lacson modified his tweet in August and said on October 30, 2021, that every Filipino, including newborns, is indebted by at least P120,000 as the country’s outstanding debt hit P11.92 trillion by end of September 2021.
This was bolstered by the Bureau of Treasury this month when it said that the country’s outstanding debt was P11.73 trillion in 2021. In 2020, the debt was P9.8 trillion, BTr said (https://www.philstar.com/…/philippines-debt-grows-20….)
The verdict on Duterte’s Build, Build, Build program remains in the balance though Lacson said that he might continue part of it if he wins (https://www.cnnphilippines.com/…/Lacson-Duterte-failed…).
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