‘Comelec order’ disqualifying Abra Rep from midterm polls FAKE

A document saying the Commission on Elections (Comelec) supposedly barred lone district of Abra Rep. Joseph “JB” Bernos from running in the 2019 midterm elections is fabricated.

STATEMENT

Bernos, who won his re-election bid, wrote on his Facebook page on the eve of the May 13 polls:

I am vehemently denying the rumors that I am disqualified from the 2019 Congressional race. It is yet another FAKE NEWS that they wish to spread to stain the good service we have done here in Abra. They should be ashamed of this dirty tactic, for they know they will never win against us that had proven many things for Abra. This is FAKE NEWS, my fellow Abreños.

Source: Cong. JB Bernos Facebook page, May 12, 2019.

The solon’s post also showed two photos of what appeared to be an order from the Comelec en banc, superimposed with a “FAKE” stamp.

It received over 3,500 reactions and was shared 45 times.

The post came three weeks after Bernos published a Facebook status on April 21 decrying a question from a netizen on the Facebook group Abrenian.com Abra Community asking if he had been disqualified from running for office. The netizen’s post had 66 reactions and 55 comments. Bernos’ counter-post saying that this was fake and “black propaganda” had over 3,300 reactions and 94 shares.

FACT

The “Comelec order” in Bernos’ post was a combination of two different documents:

• a March 11 order from the Comelec en banc saying they “consider respondent (Bernos) duly served” with a copy of a resolution upholding their decision on a case filed against him in 2013 for allegedly violating the Omnibus Election Code during that year’s midterm polls.

• a Certificate of Finality declaring the resolution final and executory, dated March 12.

Aside from merging two different Comelec issuances, the purported second page of the fake document posted by Bernos was manipulated.

Read in full at VERA Files Fact Check.

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