‘Most Shabulized’: Fact-Checking Duterte’s Claim

 

CHEERS TO VERA Files for fact-checking the claim by President Rodrigo Duterte that Iloilo is the “most shabulized” or most drug-affected province in the Philippines by citing data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

In “IS THAT SO? Is Iloilo the ‘most shabulized’ area in PH?,” (Aug. 27) VERA Files ranked the top cities and provinces according to which barangay are most drug-affected, the number of drug personalities arrested, as well as high-value targets and dismantled drug dens.

“Of 81 provinces and 27 cities listed by PDEA from January to August 2016, Iloilo province ranked only 79^th in terms of the number of drug-affected barangays per province, while Iloilo City ranked 51^st,” VERA Files reported.

Neither Iloilo City nor Iloilo province topped any of the lists. However, the province ranks 10th among the cities and  provinces with the highest number of drug personalities arrested while Iloilo City is second among the top cities and provinces with the highest number of high-value targets. It Is also tied with Iloilo Province in second place for the cities and provinces with the highest number of dismantled drug dens. While these rankings indicate serious problems that puts the place in the watch list, they hardly qualify as the “most shabulized” as Duterte puts it. The president, as usual, exaggerated, and it is noteworthy that VERA Files called him out via their fact-checking piece.

The “most shabulized” comment by Duterte happened on Aug. 7 after he accused some local government officials of alleged links with drug traffickers.

 

One response to “‘Most Shabulized’: Fact-Checking Duterte’s Claim”

1. dangerbana says:

   September 2, 2016 at 8:47 pm

   Duh! Look at how shabulized the whole country is. You’re missing the forest for the tree.

   Reply