Protesters clad in red shirts marching down Recto Avenue in Manila on Nov. 30 to celebrate Bonifacio Day were made up of militant groups, not supporters of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as a TikTok video falsely claimed.
The video was uploaded to pro-Duterter vlogger @alvenvlog45’s TikTok account on Nov. 30 with the text overlay:
Mga solid BBM vs 500 police. Walang nagawa ang mga pulis (Solid BBM supporters vs 500 police. The police was powerless)
BBM is an acronym for the president’s nickname “BongBong Marcos.” He used red as a campaign color during the 2022 presidential elections, when he won by a landslide.
A reverse image search found the original video was published by TikTok user @bossingkupalkaba59 at 10:37 a.m. (Philippine time) on Nov. 30, four hours before @alvenvlog45 did.
The 24-second clip shows members of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Migrante Philippines, Piston and other militant groups in the Manila march commemorating the 161st birth anniversary of Philippine hero Andres Bonifacio.
Around 500 additional personnel from the Southern Police District and Northern Police District were deployed that day after several rallyists broke through the police barricade as they attempted to march toward the Don Chino Roces (formerly Mendiola) bridge near Malacanang.
The PNP said eight policemen were injured during the scuffle. KMU said more than 40 of its members were hurt.
A video of ABS-CBN News showed protesters regrouping and resuming the march after the dispersal.
Reacting to the misleading video posted by @alvenvlog45, some users poked fun at supposed pro-Marcos protesters. A user said:
Oh tingnan kahit solid bbm nagrally na ayaw na din kay bbm (See? Even BBM supporters rallied because they dislike him now)
The tension between Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte escalated when Duterte threatened the president, his wife Liza Araneta and Speaker Martin Romualdez during a press conference on Nov. 22.
@alvenvlog45’s post has been viewed more than 47,000 times, with 226 likes and 47 shares. The account has 67,000 TikTok followers. (FAER)