MANILA — “It’s not fake news, but clickbait.”
This was how Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque described headlines of some mainstream media outlets on the report that US intelligence report has tagged President Rodrigo R. Duterte as threat to democracy in Southeast Asia.
On Feb. 12, the Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community released a report stating that Duterte has suggested he could suspend the Constitution and declare a revolutionary government or martial law.
Citing a Freedom House report, the US intel report also listed the Philippines as one of the governments that uses propaganda and misinformation in social media “to influence foreign and domestic audiences.”
“Apparently, clickbait po yung napabalita sa lahat ng mainstream media. Hindi naman siya fake news kasi talagang sinabi ng intel department na baka magdeklara ng martial law sa buong Pilipinas at baka mag deklara ng revgov (revolutionary government) pero yung sinasabi na binansagan daw si Pangulong Duterte na threat to democracy in Southeast Asia, clickbait po ‘yun. Walang katuturan (“Apparently, what the mainstream media reported was clickbait. It’s not fake news, because it’s true that the intelligence department said that President Duterte could declare martial law in the entire Philippines or that he could declare a revolutionary government but what was mentioned that he was labeled as a threat to democracy in Southeast Asia, that’s clickbait. It’s worthless.”),”Roque said.
In a phone-patch interview on Wednesday morning, Roque expressed concern on the US intel report noting that the Palace will take its concern.
However, that same afternoon, he issued a statement describing it as “myopic and speculative” after having read the report.
He clarified that he made his initial statement because he was “made to comment on clickbait.”
“The Philippine mainstream media yesterday bannered a clickbait headline describing the President as a threat to democracy or a regional threat. I responded when asked during a live phone patch interview by saying we view this with concern. Later on in the day, with the relevant information forwarded to me by my staff, I prepared and issued a statement responsive to the pertinent portion of the US intelligent community’s report on the Philippines under the administration or governance of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. In particular, we described as myopic and speculative its reference to the president suspending the constitution, declaring revolutionary government and imposing nationwide martial law. I hope this clarifies this matter,” Roque said.
Roque, a human rights advocate, earlier said that he would not join Duterte’s Cabinet if the President, a lawyer himself, was a threat to human rights.
“He’s a lawyer. He knows the law. He wants to uphold the rule of law. He knows about the bill of rights. And of course I wouldn’t have joined him if he was a threat to human rights,” Roque said. (Azer Parrocha/PNA)
