FALSE: Grace Poe to file bill blocking Facebook in light of ABS-CBN shutdown
Her supposed plan to block Facebook is a rehashed claim that has been debunked as early as 2018
by Rappler.com
Claim: Senator Grace Poe plans to file a bill blocking Facebook in the Philippines, in light of the shutdown of broadcast network ABS-CBN that happened in early May.
In a graphic being shared on Facebook, Poe was quoted as saying, "Dapat ang Facebook ang mawala hindi ang ABS-CBN. Gagawa ako ng batas para iblock ang Facebook sa Pilipinas dahil ang ABS-CBN ang naging parte ng buhay ng tao simula noon."
(It's Facebook that should be gone, not ABS-CBN. I will author a law to block Facebook in the Philippines, because ABS-CBN has long been a part of Filipinos' lives.)
The graphic contains a photo of Poe and the logos of Facebook and ABS-CBN to go with the quote.
Facebook's Claim Check dashboard flagged at least two posts sharing this graphic. One such post has been shared over 1,000 times and has received 580 comments and 492 reaction as of writing.
Rating: FALSE
The facts: Her supposed plan to block Facebook is a rehashed one, and has been debunked as early as 2018.
There are no statements from her office posted on the Senate website or on her Facebook page, nor reports from news organizations where Senator Poe said she'll make efforts to block Facebook in the Philippines in relation to the ABS-CBN shutdown.
In April 2018, Rappler rated as false the claim that she is eyeing a Facebook ban in the Philippines if she is reelected senator.
Around that time, Poe – then the chairperson of the Senate committee on public information and mass media – was conducting hearings on the spread of disinformation on social media. – Michael Bueza/Rappler.com
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