Always fact-check your social media posts.
A comedian was called-out by netizens for reposting what was allegedly a tweet from one of the Australian players who was involved in the infamous “basketbrawl” with the Philippine national team.
The reason: the tweet has been called “100 percent photoshopped” by a representative of the Australian team.
Comedian Pokwang (real name: Marietta Subong) posted a screenshot of the alleged tweet last week on her Instagram account.
The photo showed that it allegedly came from the account of Australian Chris Goulding, one of the athletes who got involved in the melee at the FIBA Qualifying match at the Philippine Arena last week.
The Tweet went: “Philippino Monkeys! Trash team. Trash crowd. Trash federation. Trash country. #Disgraceful.”
Pokwang wrote this caption in Filipino to accompany the tweet: “Wow!! It really reached this point?? Crazy! To those who defend this team, especially you, are you Filipino? They called us monkeys!! Both teams may be wrong but when your nationality is being made fun of, hoy!! Wake up, wake up… don’t kiss [their] asses!! You’re Filipino. Even if you don’t defend your family, defend your nationality. This is my opinion, don’t [slam me].”
The words were followed by 32 Philippine flag emojis.
After which, Pokwang added: “Fake news is different from a deleted tweet! And then don’t tell me to delete this post because I have ballls even if I’m a mother! #doonKanga [get out of here].”
The last two sentences of Pokwang’s IG post seems directed at followers who told her that Goulding’s post is fake.
They were few, but they obviously didn’t sit well with the comedian.
One example is from user @benjong_butones who wrote: “Mumshie, this is fake news. It has been reported.”
Another is from @mgpt04 who wrote: “They [Australians] said it’s a fake account.”
A @luisa_mhernandez wrote: “That’s a fake tweet. Don’t just believe in what you hear. There are a lot of fake accounts.”
But an overwhelming majority of Pokwang’s followers believe that the tweet is real, despite multiple media reports that said it was a hoax.
Naturally, her fans were incensed by the screenshot posted.
Here’s one emotional post from @purplehunt20: “What do you think of yourself Mr. Goulding? You are worst than [a] monkey!”
A @salmadorothy16 was even willing to do something violent: “Let’s do a Duterte on him [angry emoji]. Shoot to kill [devil emoji].
@chenmercado wrote: “If we are monkeys, what are they? Kangaroos!”
Classy.
As of today, Pokwang hasn’t taken down her post.
It seems it would take more than a statement from the Australian team to convince her that Goulding’s tweet simply does not exist in any shape or form on the internet.
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