A big chunk of the internet has become an avenue for disinformation, now even more so during electoral campaign season. Still, some rumors in the politics mill continue to be jarring with how far off base they are. Case in point are the resurfaced accusations claiming that Kris Aquino stole from Imelda Marcos’ infamous jewelry collection that was acquired through ill-gotten wealth and confiscated when the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos was ousted.
Those who have come to Aquino’s defense include former chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and actress and activist Angel Locsin. On Dec. 2, Locsin posted an Instagram story with a screenshot of an Inquirer article on Sereno warning those making the unfounded accusations against Aquino. The actress wrote, “She can afford to buy her own jewelry with her hard-earned money. Thank you very much.”
Sereno’s warning was originally posted through Facebook on Nov. 27. It came as a response to those spreading an old hoax that has been debunked by Aquino as well as government offices in 2016.
“Criminal case na po ang maaaring harapin [n’yo] sa pagbibintang na ginamit ni Kris Aquino ang alahas ni Imelda na ayon sa Supreme Court ay galing sa nakaw na yaman. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas at PCGG (Presidential Commission on Good Government) na po ang nagsabing imposible ito,” Sereno said.
Sereno has been outspoken against historical revisionist efforts to absolve the Marcoses of crime. “Kung walang ninakaw, walang na-recover. Ganun ka-simple lang po,” Sereno wrote in an Oct. 12 Facebook post. She has been sharing links to several PCGG reports and Supreme Court rulings on the Marcoses’ and their cronies’ ill-gotten wealth, which amounts to hundreds of billions in pesos—P125 billion of which the government is still trying to recover.
While Marcos troll supporters are hard at work trying to spin a narrative that someone else is benefiting from the Marcoses’ plunder, it’s imperative that we keep our eyes peeled against more hoaxes. We can start by making an effort to get our facts straight and better acquaint ourselves with the documented history of Martial Law corruption and abuses.
Art by Pammy Orlina
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