Thai king ordered Duterte to behave during Asean meet? ‘Fake news’ says Andanar

NONTHABURI, Thailand — Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar belied Friday an alleged article about the King of Thailand directing President Rodrigo Duterte to behave during the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit.

PCOO Sec. Martin Andanar dismisses as “fake news” an alleged Bangkok Post front page article titled “King orders PH Duterte behave during Asean Summit” by showing how the newspaper’s hard copy did not carry such story (📸 from PCOO Office of Global Media Affairs) @inquirerdotnet pic.twitter.com/y6LfLrgQpM

— Krissy Aguilar (@KAguilarINQ) November 1, 2019

“Meron pong mga malisyoso na gumawa ng fake news na nakalagay dito na pinagsabihan daw ng hari si Presidente Duterte na mag behave,” Andanar said Friday in a video statement while holding a copy of an October 31 Bangkok Post newspaper.

(There are people who maliciously made fake news about the King [of Thailand] telling President Duterte to behave.)

“Kitang kita naman dito na iba ang nakasulat, see iba po ang nakasulat dito, ang pinagusapan dito ay five generation [5G] na cellphone so obvious talaga na fake news ang pinalabas,” he added.

(It’s obvious that here it stated otherwise, what’s being talked about here is a five generation cellphone, which obviously proves that a fake news was peddled.)

Andanar was reacting to a screenshot he received regarding an alleged article from Bangkok Post titled “King orders PH Duterte, behave during Asean summit.”

Citing Thailand’s lese-majeste law which forbids insult of the monarchy, Andanar warned of the possible consequences to be faced by those who would peddle “fake news” about the King of Thailand.

“Alam nyo kapag gumawa kayo ng fake news na ganyan, na ginagamit ninyo ang pangalan ng hari dito sa Bangkok, Thailand, pwde kayong makulong ng labing limang taon dahil sa kanilang lese-majeste law na kapag binastos niyo ang revered na hari ay diretso kayo sa loob ng kulungan,” Andanar said.

(You know what, if you make fake news such as this where you used the name of the king here in Thailand, you can be imprisoned for 15 years because of their lese-majeste law wherein you can go directly to jail if you disrespected the king.)

Andanar also stressed peddling “fake news” can affect the bilateral relations of the Philippines and Thailand.

“Kaya sana wag tayo gumawa ng ganung klaseng fake news, nakakasira po yan ng bilateral relations ng dalawang bansa,” he said.

(So, we should not make such fake news, it can ruin the bilateral relations between the two countries.)

Furthermore, Andanar said he would tap the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to trace the source of the “fake news.”

“I will call the attention of the National Bureau of Investigation to get to the bottom of this,” Andanar said in a press briefing./jpv