LRay offers P 7M reward for identity of persons behind fake voice post

By Paolo Gabriel Jamer

Camarines Sur 2nd District Representative Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte, in his facebook post on Monday, March 28, offered a P2 million cash reward for the identity of persons behind Ratsada Rinconada Bicol facebook page and P5 million incentive on who can pinpoint the main source of the deep fake recording posted and circulated in social media, which has gone viral as of presstime.

Villafuerte offered the cash rewards after an audio recording allegedly that of the voice of the lawmaker was posted in Ratsada Rinconada Bicol facebook page on March 28 titled “HELLO PO CONG SCANDAL TRENDING.” The post contained a male voice giving instruction to an unidentified woman how to make fake news against Vice President Leni Robredo, gubernatorial candidate ex-Congressman Nonoy Andaya, Iriga City Mayor Madel Alfelor, and Congressman Gabby Bordado.

The male voice allegedly that of Villafuerte can be heard saying: “Gumawa ka Leni Robredo, mga kakampinks, mga scammers.” Then the voice further instructed the woman to put the photos of Andaya with the title Malampaya scammer, Alfelor as SAP scam, and Bordado as election scammer.

Villafuerte, in his facebook post, said: “Meron kinakalat ang aming mga kalaban na DEEP Fake audio recording na ako daw nasa recording. Mag google lang po kayo at mag search sa Youtube Nanduon kung paano i fake o gayahin ang boses mo exacto.”

He said he will report it to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for investigation and to stop the people behind it. Villafuerte added that they know and they have evidence that the people behind the fake recording are operating in Naga City and that it is clear that their bosses are those “abusado dyan sa Partido.”

Villafuerte also named Jonathan Magistrado and Jeric Joy Añonuevo as the persons behind the Ratsada Rinconada Bicol facebook account that is spreading fake news against the Villafuertes. He said he will not stop until the two are put behind bars.

When Bicol Mail sought his comment on Villafuerte’s accusation, Magistrado, a former reporter and news anchor of ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol Bicol sent this statement: “These are baseless accusations. Ikalawang pagkakataon na po ito ng parehong tao na iniugnay ako sa page na wala akong koneksyon. Though I felt harrassed, I chose to keep silent. Pero ngayon sobra na. Hindi po sa’tin itinuro ang mag-present ng alternative facts. As to the audio recording, sa Facebook ko na lang po ‘yon narinig. Wala tayong kinalaman sa bagay na ito. Mas maigi siguro na kaysa magturo ng tao, patunayan na lang na fake ‘yong audio recording para lumabas po ang katotohanan. My only appeal now to every Camarinense is to continue to fight against disinformation kahit saang media platform pa ‘yan. Taumbayan po ang talo sa mga fake news na ito.”

For his part, Añonuevo, in an interview with the Bicol Mail, said that he is not a fake news propagator and never will be. He added that it is hard to imitate the voice of Villafuerte when there is no copy yet.