
A photo circulating on social media showing President Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia flashing the “God First” sign apparently endorsing the 2022 presidential bid of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno is false.
Duterte, Go and Garcia have not thrown their support to any presidential candidate as of Wednesday, 23 February 2022.
The photo was old and is part of a collage posted on Twitter earlier by Cebu Daily News.
LOOK: Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia attended a 'dinner meeting' with President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Bong Go on March 17, together with other local officials in Cebu, the Capitol said on March 18. | Photos from Sugbo News via @morexetteCDN #CDNDigital pic.twitter.com/MiwOR1kONI
— CDN Digital (@cebudailynews) March 18, 2021
Garcia was invited to Malacanang for a dinner with Duterte and Go, the President’s former long-time aide, on 18 March 2021. Aside from Garcia, also invited to the occasion were 4th District Rep. Janice Salimbangon, 5th District Rep. Duke Frasco, 6th District Rep. Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan, and Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas. They were also joined by Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino.
https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/cebu-news/2021/03/19/2085482/7-cebu-execs-called-dinner-palace
The quote card with the photo of Duterte, Go and Garcia flashing the “God First” sign says “Na Isko Na?” and #SwitchtoIsko. Moreno, Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer, uses the “God First” sign as his hand campaign signature.
It was posted on Facebook pages supporting Moreno’s presidential aspiration, including Tropang Isko Moreno, One Isko and Isko Moreno Domagoso for President Movement Western Visayas, among other Facebook pages and groups.
Garcia leads the One Cebu party, the dominant local political party in vote-rich Cebu province with at least 3.2 million registered voters. National politicians usually covet, like in the past elections, the endorsement of One Cebu, which is led by the Garcia political clan.
One Cebu has endorsed presidential daughter Davao Mayor Sara Duterte, who is running for vice president. The party has yet to announce the candidate it will support in the presidential race.
As with all our other reports, MindaNews welcomes leads or suggestions from the public to potential fact-check stories. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
(This fact-check piece was produced with the support of Internews’ Philippine Fact-Checker Incubator Project.)