De Lima says sister, son victims of ‘fake news’

Senator Leila de Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / ERMA EDERA

Opposition Senator Leila de Lima on Sunday deplored moves by some groups who allegedly target some of her family members as “fake news” victims across social media platforms.

In a statement, De Lima said her sister and her youngest son have been victimized by fake news.

“My sister was reported to have been arrested in Beijing for drug trafficking. Her friends called her about that. When that fake news came out, my sister happened to be at the hospital, watching over my sick mother,” she said.

“Another fake news targeted my youngest son, Vincent, who was reported to have been arrested at an airport in Berlin, for possession of drugs. My son has never set foot in another country,” she added.

The detained senator said these fake articles about her sister and son both circulated in social media in December 2016 and were mostly shared and re-shared to various social media platforms, including Facebook and Youtube.

De Lima lamented how some of the fake news stories and videos uploaded online “may have easily corrupted the public’s mind in trying to differentiate between what is real and what is fake news.”

“Absurd and incredible these fake news are, the sad reality is some people tend to be fooled into believing them,” she said.

She noted that several fake news articles peddled against her also made their rounds on Facebook and Youtube.

Last January, De Lima appealed to Facebook to take down the fake news stories and clips against her as these affect her reputation.

READ: De Lima asks Facebook: Take down fake news stories about me

De Lima is currently detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame over drug charges.

She is accused of engaging in the drug trade and for allegedly accepting money from drug lords detained at the New Bilibid Prisons in exchange for allowing them to live in luxury and comfort behind bars.

The senator has vowed to fight the tide of fake news directed not only to her and her family but also to those who are critical of the Duterte administration. /cbb