FACT CHECK: News report on Central Bank lawsuit vs Enrique Razon is fake
Claim: An ABS-CBN News article reported that the Central Bank of the Philippines sued businessman Enrique Razon over his statements promoting a cryptocurrency platform during an interview on Tune In Kay Tunying, an online broadcast show by Filipino broadcast journalist Anthony Taberna.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The post containing the claim was sent to Rappler via email and has been seen circulating on social media pages like Facebook.
The link containing the claim mimics the ABS-CBN News website. The headline of the featured article reads, “The Central Bank of the Philippines sues Enrique Razon over statements he made on live television.” It was supposedly written by a certain Jonathan Cacho.
According to the article, Razon’s interview on the Tune In Kay Tunying show was disrupted by a call from the central bank after the businessman “accidentally revealed his secrets on the program.” During the interview, Razon supposedly divulged how he makes money using the cryptocurrency platform “Paragonix Earn” and encouraged viewers to open an account.
The facts: The said report is fake — both ABS-CBN News and Razon’s camp denied the false post. Razon has no pending civil or criminal cases filed against him, according to a public advisory issued by the business tycoon’s camp.
Fake ABS-CBN website: On September 5, ABS-CBN News debunked the fake article, saying it does not have a report on the supposed lawsuit against Razon. The fake article was posted on a site that mimics the design of the real ABS-CBN News website. The URL of the website containing the fabricated article is also different from the official website’s URL.
ABS-CBN News also clarified that it does not have a writer or reporter named Jonathan Cacho.
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Denied by Razon: In a press release dated September 2, the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) debunked a similar fake article posted on a website that mimics the interface of news outlet Inquirer.net.
“We wish to inform the public that Mr. Razon has no pending civil or criminal cases before any Philippine court or government agency. We urge everyone to exercise caution and critical thinking when encountering such information online. Please rely on official ICTSI information and verified sources for accurate and reliable news,” the press release read.
Razon is the chairman of ICTSI, an independent terminal operator involved in port development, management, and operations across six continents.
The original video: The fake article featured the December 19, 2023 episode of Tune In kay Tunying. In the video, Taberna or Razon did not discuss cryptocurrency or the trading platform Paragonix Earn.
Same old script: In May 2024, Rappler debunked a fake article falsely reporting that a Filipino business tycoon was sued after divulging that a cryptocurrency platform was the secret to his wealth. The false post featured a supposed interview of television host Boy Abunda with Megaworld chairman and president Andrew Tan published on a website imitating Inquirer.net. – Ailla Dela Cruz/Rappler.com
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