Moreno chides ‘paid’ blogger for sharing deceptive photo of ‘crowded’ vax hub

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on Thursday admonished a blogger he described as “bayaran” for spreading a photo that falsely presented an allegedly jam-packed vaccination site in his jurisdiction.

Moreno did not mention the name of the blogger, but the Manila Public Information Office earlier tagged as “fake news” a post from Mocha Uson Blog bearing a photo of people supposedly overcrowding a facility for vaccination against COVID-19 in the city of Manila.

While the capital city’s vaccination centers were faced with a huge turnout of people who want to be vaccinated against the new coronavirus disease on Thursday, the questionable picture making the rounds on social media and shared by the unnamed blogger was of a vaccination site in Antipolo City.

“May isa pang blogger, nag-post ng picture na hindi naman sa Maynila,” Moreno said over DZRH. “May nag-post naman ng picture, itong isang blogger na naman ng isang kandidato na ‘ito yung isang picture nung nangyari’ eh Robinsons Place Antipolo ’yung picture.”

(There is a blogger who posted a picture that is not from Manila. Another one posted that picture, this blogger of a candidate, which is a picture of what happened in Robinsons Place Antipolo.)

“Makakapal ang mukha. Kasi ‘pag bayaran ka talaga, gagawin mo ang lahat para lang kumita kahit na mali,” Domagoso added.

(These people are shameless. Because when you’re a paid person, you’d do anything for the money even if it’s not right.)

https://www.facebook.com/ManilaPIO/posts/1173209459830408

Early Thursday morning, several vaccination hubs of Manila City were stormed by people coming from within and outside the city, even from nearby provinces, purportedly to avail of shots against COVID-19.

Police said approximately 19,000 people flocked to Manila City’s vaccination sites, which eventually had to cut off the line.

https://www.facebook.com/ManilaPIO/posts/1172863579864996

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Thursday blamed the “no vaccine, no ayuda” rumors for the “disorderliness” in vaccination sites in the National Capital Region, including those in the city of Manila.

Days prior, President Rodrigo Duterte said that those who do not want to be vaccinated against COVID-19 should stay home, or police will escort them back to their houses.

READ: Duterte not worried about persons going out if already vaccinated vs COVID-19

Malacañang, however, said Duterte’s pronouncements should not be blamed for the ruckus in the vaccination sites but those who spread fake news.

KGA