PCOO under fire once again for blunder on Freedom of Information website

Screenshots from Twitter user @peepaubau.
Screenshots from Twitter user @peepaubau.

The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) has received flak once again after a netizen complained about a blunder on its Freedom of Information website on Tuesday.

Twitter user @peepaubau shared a series of screenshots of the government website which showed agencies Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and the Office for Transportation Security with their local directory numbers listed as “Di ko alam,” which is Filipino for “I don’t know.”

https://twitter.com/peepaubau/status/1021609908360241153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1021609908360241153&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.interaksyon.com%2Fpcoos-freedom-information-lack-thereof-website-draws-flak%2F

@peepaubau went on to share a video of himself going through the website as proof that it wasn’t at all edited.

https://twitter.com/peepaubau/status/1021633606895030273

The official Twitter account of the Freedom of Information confirmed the gaffe on Tuesday when they replied to user @peepaubau saying that the errors were removed after being identified.

Coconuts Manila can confirm that the error has been erased from the website after checking at 4:45pm today. The fields were instead replaced with dashes.

Screenshot from the FOI website.

But it seems that it won’t be forgotten by netizens who had a chance to see @peepaubau’s tweet:

User @Edddddduard wrote in Filipino: “I thought it was edited, but it’s not. This is sad.”

https://twitter.com/Edddddduard/status/1021630543996190720

Another user @bituinrustia urged to relieve Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar of his duties and “scrap the PCOO, they do not deserve a single peso from our hard earned taxes.”

“They don’t have any concern for those who pay for their wages because they don’t give their 100% best effort. Disgusting,” she added.

Another pointed out that the Google cached version still has the error, sharing a link on the tweet.

Veteran musician Jim Paredes asked if the website had been hacked, telling @peepaubau to give them the benefit of the doubt. “But if it wasn’t [hacked], you’re right. This is too much,” he wrote in Filipino.

@peepaubau replied that he doubted the website was hacked. “Who would exert that much of an effort for something that isn’t easily noticeable. Besides, they corrected it right after seeing the tweet.”

https://twitter.com/peepaubau/status/1021903067183120384

This isn’t the first time PCOO had a boo-boo. No sir, the PCOO has been the subject of netizens’ ire in a string of factual errors.

In June, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian called out the PCOO for calling him “Winston Gatchalian” in a press release. His nickname “Win” is actually short for — you guessed it — Sherwin.

That’s embarrassing, especially since it happened right after another controversy where it called the country Norway “Norwegia.”

After a massive online backlash, the Swedish embassy even got in on the fun using this cheeky infographic.

The PCOO also called the late National Security Adviser Jose Roilo Golez as “Rogelio” a day after the “Norwegia” post.

PSA: Errors like these can be easily avoided with a quick Google search. *wink*



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