FACT CHECK: News of 39 soldiers held by MILF is from 2023, not recent

Claim: Members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) blocked 39 soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and confiscated their firearms in Lanao del Sur on September 9. Rating: FALSE Why we fact-checked this: A September 9 Facebook post published by the page “Kakatoh Trending” claims: “Breaking news! Hinarang ng MILF ang 39 na sundalo ng AFP na dumaan sa kanilang kampo sa Lanao del Sur at pinadeposito pa ang kanilang mga baril, ano ito? Bawian na sila? ” (Breaking news! The MILF intercepted 39 AFP soldiers passing through their camp in Lanao del Sur and even forced them to surrender their firearms, what is this? Is this a case of getting even? ) As of writing, the post has garnered over 859 reactions, 281 comments, and 70 shares. The page itself has more than 21,000 followers.

The post received several comments, most of which backed up the claim, with one comment adding, “Nakita ko na sa balita totoo ‘yan (I already saw that in the news, that is true). ” Another post uploaded on September 9 features an excerpt of a news report regarding the incident. As of writing, it has 7,800 reactions, 528 comments, 874 shares, and 314,000 views. The posts began spreading ahead of the first-ever Bangsomoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections on September 14. The facts: The false claim is likely referring to a real incident in February 2023 , when 39 soldiers belonging to the 1st Special Forces Battalion were held and later released by the MILF after they strayed close to the Front’s 103 Base Camp in Barangay Delimbayan in Maguing town, Lanao del Sur. The accounts that posted the false claim have been reposting the GMA News report of the incident without saying that it is a 2023 report. The post by the page “Kakatoh Trending” added a…