By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur—Surigao del Sur Governor Alexander Pimentel has announced a reward of P1 million for information leading to the identification of the administrator of the “Surigao del Sur Ngayon” Facebook page whom he accused of disseminating false information, particularly spreading defamatory content against the himon social media.
The reward offer was posted on “Gov. Ayec T. Pimentel” FB page on Wednesday saying the fake news post will trigger chaos and confusion to the orderly living of the residents of Surigao del Sur.
“It is not only one or two people who were victimized by the ( Surigao del Sur Ngayon) page administrator and it is also not only once or twice he/she had done this. He has been used to besmirch other people at will and interfere in their private lives,” Pimentel said in the posted statement written in local vernacular.
The controversial page started criticizing Pimentel on March 27 when it quoted part of the online interview by local broadcaster Jhun Ariza to the governor discussing that the opposite camp of former Rep. Prospero Pichay will no longer field a congressional candidate in District 1.
“Kung dili sila moatbang, gamay da ang iamot kanako nan duha ka minahan (If they will not confront us in District 1 then the budget of the two mining will be reduced in next year’s election)”’, Pimentel jestingly replied.
The post further quoted the governor as saying that he will incur a big loss of money as he confirmed that CTP Construction and Mining Corp and Carrascal Nickel Corporation have funded Pimentel’s Hugpong Surigao in the 2022 elections and if Pichay’s Team Gugma will have a complete line up in 2025 election the two companies will contribute twice the campaign and election day budget.
On April 1 which also falls on April Fools Day, Surigao del Sur Ngayon page posted that Pimentel had already died at the age 71 due to lung cancer.
The post caused a stir in the province prompting Rep. Johnny Pimentel, the governor’s younger brother to refute the “fake news” saying the post by Surigao del Sur Ngayon page were fake, baseless and untrue.
“Gov. Ayec is very much alive and well,” the younger Pimentel said in his page on April 2.
The Pimentel famiies were in Japan to celebrate Johnny’s birthday.
A fact chack by online new portal Rappler rated the post as false which gained 805 reactions, 398 comments and 1,700 shares.
On April 3, Surigao del Sur Ngayon posted false information that claimed Gov. Pimentel issued a memorandum to suspend classes on April 4-5 due to alleged Pertussis cases in the province.
Pimentel’s page clarified the post was edited in its contents from the memorandum issued on December 3, a day after the province was jolted by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake.
“Desperate times call for desperate moves,” Pimentel’s page said.
On the same day, Surigao del Sur Ngayon page cloned the Higpong Surigao page to make an impression that it had only 254 followers when the real page actually has more 17,000 followers.
