Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte claimed that it was “fake news” that led to the influx of people hoping to receive financial aid at the Quezon City Hall grounds on Friday.
Belmonte said people flocked to the City Hall “after they were told from unverified and fake news sources that they can receive money just by falling in line.”
The Quezon City government on Friday was actually receiving applications for its Pangkabuhayang QC program, a start-up capital financial assistance scheme for residents, who could get P5,000 to P20,000 depending on their choice of business.
However, Belmonte said the most of the people who went to the City Hall did “not have application forms and the necessary documents to support any business plans for the program” and were just expecting to receive “ayuda” or financial aid.