A YouTube video has recycled a six-month-old clip of actor-turned-senatorial aspirant Robin Padilla defending the 2016 Supreme Court decision to allow the burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB).
The video posted by PINAS INSIDER on April 26 made it appear that Padilla filmed his reaction to a recent call of presidential candidate Leody “Ka Leody” de Guzman to exhume Marcos’ remains and return them to Ilocos Norte, the late president’s home province.
In reality, it is an old Facebook live video of Padilla originally posted on his official page on Oct. 30. Reacting to an old remark by an unnamed senator opposing Marcos’ burial at the heroes’ cemetery, Padilla said at the 1:41 mark:
Noong una, pagkakita ko, ako’y nagulat. Pinanood ko, pinakinggan ko. Ang sabi ng senador, huwag daw mapalagay ang mga Marcos na mananatili doon ang bangkay ni Apo Lakay (When I first watched it, I was shocked. I watched it, I heard it. The senator said the Marcoses should not be complacent that Marcos’ remains will stay at the LNMB).
PINAS INSIDER also falsely claimed that Padilla had challenged De Guzman remarks in the video. Its caption said:
Matapang na naghamon ang aktor at senatorial aspirant na si Robin Padilla kay presidential aspirant Ka Leody de Guzman sa gusto nitong mangyari sa mga labi ni dating pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. Sa kanyang naging virtual meeting kasama ang ilang estudyante mula sa Polytechnic University of the Philippines nitong April 23 (Actor and senatorial aspirant Robin Padilla strongly challenged presidential aspirant Ka Leody de Guzman on his plans to move the remains of former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in [Ka Leody’s] virtual meeting with students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines on April 23).
hile Padilla did not recently record an FB live video reacting to De Guzman, he did share on April 24 a News5 quote card of De Guzman with the caption: “Subukan mo. Gawin niyo sa harap ko (Try it. Do it in front of me.)”
Padilla has openly supported Marcos Sr. and is running as a guest candidate under the banner of the late dictator’s son.
In a virtual meeting with students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines on April 23, De Guzman called for the removal of Marcos’ remains from the heroes’ cemetery. He said:
Dapat talaga ‘yan kasi kapag ‘yung isang diktador na pinatalsik ng mamamayan ay nandoon sa Libingan ng mga Bayani, nakakatawa tayo noon…Hukakyin na natin at ibalik natin sa Ilocos Norte (We really should [exhume Marcos’ remains] because when an ousted dictator is in the LNMB, we will be a laughing stock. Let’s exhume Marcos’ body and return it to Ilocos Norte).
Marcos’ remains were transferred on Nov. 18, 2016 from the Marcos Museum and Mausoleum in Batac, Ilocos Norte to the LNMB in Taguig City despite wide protests from martial law victims and human rights defenders because of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances committed during his 21-year dictatorship.
President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Marcos’ burial on Aug. 7, 2016, which the Supreme Court upheld by a vote of 9-5 on Nov. 8, 2016.
The PINAS INSIDER video has gained 23,901 views and 1,104 likes. The YouTube account was created on Sept. 6, 2016 and has at least 254,000 subscribers.
Padilla’s old live video has been shared on 124 Facebook pages, groups and verified profiles, totalling at least 53,000 interactions. (JC)