Bong Go fan page distorts Bam Aquino food waste quote

Sen. Bam Aquino did not say the poor should be fed “pag-pag” or scavenged food, contrary to a meme posted by a Facebook fan page of senatorial candidate Bong Go.

The meme, published March 11, attributes to Aquino the false quote:

Ako ay nagmamalasakit sa mga mahihirap kaya dapat lang na ipakain sa kanila ang tira-tirang pagkain o pag-pag (I care for the poor and they should be fed leftovers or scavenged food).

Aquino, author of the Zero Food Waste Bill (Senate Bill No. 357) which had earlier been the subject of fake news, has been urging food businesses such as restaurants and supermarkets to donate their excess food to food distribution charities.

In one post on his official website titled “BIDA KA!: Habag, Hindi Pagpag,” he said:

Isinusulong ng panukala na bawasan ang pag-aaksaya ng pagkain sa pamamagitan ng pagbigay ng mga supermarket, restaurant sa sobra nilang pagkain sa tinatawag na food-distribution charities o ‘food banks’ para ipamahagi sa mahihirap na pamilyang Pilipino. Sa kabilang dulo, ang mga tira-tirang pagkain ay ipapadala sa mga composting at waste management plant kung saan ito’y gagamiting compost (The bill seeks to reduce food waste by getting supermarkets and restaurants to donate their surplus food to food-distribution charities or ‘food banks’ to be shared with poor Filipino families. On the other hand, food waste will be sent to composting and waste management plants where they can be used as compost).

The Liberal Party senatorial candidate is seeking reelection and is in the 10-15 bracket in the most recent Pulse Asia survey.

The Bong Go fan page that posted the meme has more than 213,000 followers. Its post on Aquino generated nearly 1,900 interactions.

References

Bida ka! Habag, hindi pagpag. (2016, August 4). Retrieved from http://www.bamaquino.com/bida-ka-habag-hindi-pagpag/

Bong Go. (2019, March 11). In Facebook [Fan page]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/BongGoNaTayo/photos/a.2127214017500838/2317723975116507/

Food bank bill, casualty of fake news. (2017, October 15). Retrieved from http://www.bamaquino.com/food-bank-bill-casualty-fake-news/

January 2019 nationwide survey on the May 2019 senatorial elections. (n.d.). Pulse Asia. Retrieved from http://www.pulseasia.ph/january-2019-nationwide-survey-on-the-may-2019-senatorial-elections/

Senate bill no. 357: Zero food waste. (2016, July 28). Retrieved from http://www.bamaquino.com/senate-bill-no-357-zero-food-waste/

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