A Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao official appealed to people on Sunday to rely on official information about a recent rally in Cotabato City.
Bangsamoro Minister of the Interior and Local Government Jordan Bayam, in a statement, warned the public against fake and misleading reports on the June 26 gathering organized by the United Bangsamoro Justice Party.
He said reports claiming that about 400,000 people attended the rally were inconsistent with the official crowd estimate of the Philippine National Police at around 30,000.
“The public deserves truthful reporting, not exaggerated narratives designed to create a false impression of overwhelming public support,” Bayam said.
Bayam said the huge discrepancy between the police estimate and the published attendance figure underscores the importance of relying on official and verifiable information.
He said social media posts that circulated photographs and drone footage purportedly showing a massive crowd during the event appeared to have been taken from the moral governance and anti-corruption rally held on June 22 by supporters of BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua.
“If verified, using photographs from a different political gathering to portray another event would amount to misleading the public and undermining the integrity of public discourse,” Bayam said.
He urged people to exercise greater responsibility in verifying photographs, videos, and attendance figures before posting.
