SunStar Davao did not resurrect old news about a 2021 quarantine, nor did the newspaper announce a quarantine for 2025 due to Mpox. 

Netizens resurrected an old post dated June 2021 about a so-called MECQ (Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine) supposedly from June 5 to 20, 2025.

Some believed it as breaking news, others scolded SunStar for supposedly posting false information. Some were aware that the dates of posting were years ago – in June 2021 – during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

We are fact-checking this post along with at least two other Facebook social media cards from the newspaper.

SunStar Davao has since clarified that the viral post was an old one, posted in June 2021. It encouraged its followers to check the dates of their posts to avoid misinformation.

Netizens likewise brought back two other pandemic-era posts and blamed SunStar Davao for supposedly causing panic.

The swarming happened from May 29 to 31.

As of May 31, 6 p.m., MindaNews monitored at least 876 social media users that made at least 784 comments using fact-checking tools. Mentioning others in the comments also contributed to the post’s virality.  

According to the data MindaNews gathered on SunStar Davao’s publicly available comments, the first bump on the June 4, 2021 post was made on May 29, 2025, at 1:09 a.m.

But we can’t say for sure if this was the initial spark or what the motive was. A random Like may have set it off — something even admins and observers cannot pinpoint.

_{Lower left dot (orange) is the first observed public comment. We are keeping their identities private. Many thanks to Cristina Alivio and Ralph Lawrence Llemit of SunStar Davao for allowing us to examine the post’s engagements.} 

As of Sunday night, June 2, 8:36 p.m., the post has received at least 14k shares, 1.7k comments, and 4k reactions so far.  

Two other posts had the same fate. 

How does this happen? 

Social media platforms like Facebook rely on user behavior to determine which posts appear on more news feeds. An “Up,” or a comment or reaction on old content contributes to virality. In other countries, the term is “Bump.” 

A social media user who interacts with any old post can restart a spark of engagement regardless of how long ago this was posted. This includes reactions such as likes, haha, and heart.

The aftermath

Ironically, Facebook users trying to clarify that the post was old ended up fueling its spread through comments.

As with all our other reports, MindaNews welcomes fact check leads or suggestions from the public. 

MindaNews is a verified signatory to the Code of Principles of the International Fact-Checking Network. (Yas D. Ocampo / MindaNews)