A Facebook post by Abner Villalva dated Sept. 16, 2021 with the headline, “MARCOS TOPS UST SURVEY,” has been making the rounds on social media after former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. filed his certificate of candidacy for president in the 2022 elections.
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., namesake and son of the late Philippine dictator, announced his presidential bid on Oct. 5, 2021, joining the presidential race along with Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, to whom he lost the vice presidential race in 2016; Sen. Manny Pacquiao; Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso; and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, among others.
Abner Villalva, a Facebook user with an “#IAmForBBM” frame on his profile picture, posted on Sept. 16, 2021, about a week before the 49th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law, an image that read “MARCOS TOPS UST SURVEY.” It was accompanied by a quote from Marcos, thanking the respondents of the supposed survey.
Here’s the post caption in verbatim: “One of the catholic schools built by priests in the philippines the priests and nuns who as one did not like the government of Marcos during the time of president Ferdinand E Marcos but the truth came out and this is what really makes even the students of UST released their personal thoughts and released in the newspaper the true results of their national survey so now the intelligence and courage of the students in UST they have the determination and courage to teach the truth of the truth of the correct statement to the people honest students and with love their homeland we salute you with your lion logo is what makes real money can not buy your principle and love for your country UST is one of the reasonable school in the philippines your good work continues for your good future … Long live UST.”
While it is true that the younger Marcos topped a Varsitarian survey, the survey was conducted in 2015, before he lost to Robredo and demanded several electoral protests and recounts, which he lost, too. The Varsitarian released the results of the survey in a news story, released on Dec. 13, 2015, with the headline, “Miriam, Bongbong top UST Varsitarian survey.”
The survey was conducted from Oct. 26 to Dec. 10, 2015, with 1,366 randomly selected respondents. They were asked who they would vote for president and vice president if elections were held on the day of the survey. The late senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago (66 percent) and Marcos (29 percent), running-mates, emerged as the top bets.
The results of the survey were used in a Manila Times story, which was released on Dec. 14, 2015, the day after the Varsitarian published its own story. The headline of the story was the same as the headline used in the viral post: “MARCOS TOPS UST SURVEY.”
Also in the story was Bongbong’s quote used in the viral post: “Bibigyan ko ng halaga ang pagtitiwalang ito na ipinagkaloob niyo sa akin. Marami pa akong gustong gawin para sa inyong kapakanan at kinabukasan pati na rin sa inyong mga pamilya at sa buong sambayanan.”
Villalva’s misleading post started to generate clicks after the former senator formalized his presidential aspirations—six years after Marcos topped the Varsitarian survey.
As of Oct. 12, the misleading post has generated 3,200 reactions and 1,300 shares.
