MANILA, Philippines — Philippine news websites claiming that an American diplomat said that the historic Balangiga bells were returned to the country because of President Rodrigo Duterte is fake, a French news agency said on Friday. After 117 years, the bells were returned to the Philippines and arrived at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City last Dec. 11. “US diplomat Daniel Russell has stated (off-record) that the bells were returned because of Pres. Duterte’s strategy in geopolitics that made the US grant Duterte’s request of returning the Balangiga Bells,” the report stated. The fake report has been shared 6,000 times by Facebook pages and groups supporting Duterte with more than two million followers as per CrowdTangle data.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 14, 2018 10:41 UTC