Fact-checked by: Ria Javate
Red Bullets:
Claim: Photos circulating on social media exposed “Poblacion girl” and her companions at the party she attended after skipping a mandatory hotel quarantine, furthermore identifying those who supposedly tested positive for COVID-19.
Rating: Partly False (Misleading)
The truth: The two photos in question showed people who were not at all related to “Poblacion girl.” The photos were taken at a different party held days after the one she attended.
Why fact-check: “Poblacion girl” was regarded by social media users as the cause of the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases of Omicron variant in the country. The people in the photos could be subjected to public humiliation and privacy issues. Furthermore, the misinformation also does not help the ongoing investigations, as well as the contact tracing efforts.
Red Totality:
On Dec. 30, photos and videos circulated on social media to explain how “Poblacion girl” Gwyneth Chua violated quarantine protocols and identify companions who contracted COVID-19 from her.
A Tiktok video zoomed in on the faces of the people in the photo, with the caption, “Here’s a closeup look sa mga lumabag sa IATF protocols ng Pilipinas. Hold them accountable. #GwynethChua IS A CRIMINAL.”
The claim is partly false, specifically misleading.
The two photos included in the viral TikTok videos did not show Chua and her companions. These were not taken at the same party she attended, nor were the people involved related or known to her.
Unfortunately, social media users were misinformed by a Twitter post that has since been deleted, which published the unrelated group photos. The said photos put red crosses on individuals who allegedly had COVID-19.
Chua went viral on social media for violating the mandatory hotel quarantine and attending a party a day after her arrival from the United States on Dec. 22.
Under government protocols, arriving passengers should undergo a mandatory five-day quarantine in government-designed facilities and are only allowed to check out after a negative RT-PCR test, but should still follow 14-day isolation at home.
Social media dubbed Chua “Poblacion girl,” referring to the area in Makati City where she supposedly met her companions. On Dec. 27, she tested positive for COVID-19, and some of her companions as well.
In a Facebook post, Patrick Tayo, one of the people shown in the unrelated group photos, clarified that they did not have any physical interaction with Chua since they did not personally know her and attended a different party held days after the one she had attended.
“A Twitter account compared it to the leaked Gwyneth Chua group photo going around social media. Natawa pa nga ako the first time I saw it kasi magkamukha naman talaga yung poses and positioning namin,” Tayo said.
Tayo and his companions in the photos sought the help of social media users to report the said TikTok videos. But the videos are still up and have accumulated over 50,000 views.
References:
Inquirer.net, “DOT: Filipina from US with ‘connections’ skipped quarantine, partied in Makati,” December 30, 2021
Inquirer.net, “4 close contacts of girl who skipped quarantine now have COVID-19,” January 3, 2022
TikTok, “Here’s a closeup look sa mga lumabag sa IATF Protocols ng Pilipinas,” January 2, 2022
Facebook, “The TikTok videos linking me and my friends to #GwynethChua are NOT TRUE,” January 2, 2022
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