| schema:text
| - SUMMARY
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
Claim: A strong earthquake and tsunami may hit the Philippines on July 5, 2025.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: An AI-generated photo of a newscast report about an expected earthquake and tsunami on July 5, 2025, spreads false alarm among Facebook users.
The text on the photo says, “Babala! Isang malakas na lindol at tsunami ang maaaring tumama sa Pilipinas!” (Warning! A strong earthquake and tsunami may hit the Philippines!)
As of writing, the post has already garnered an estimated 269,000 reactions, 173,000 comments, and 7,200 shares.
It was posted on February 15 in a religious Facebook group named Catholic Online with around 592,000 members.
The facts: Scientists cannot predict the exact date and location of possible earthquakes and tsunamis.
Tsunami warning centers can identify which earthquakes are likely to generate tsunamis, which allows them to forecast warnings. However, since scientists cannot detect the precise date and location of the next earthquake, they cannot also predict when and where the next tsunami will strike.
An earthquake is a weak to violent shaking of the ground produced by the sudden movement of rock materials below the earth’s surface. A tsunami, on the other hand, is a surge of higher than five-meter sea waves, commonly caused by underwater earthquakes.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has long warned the public to not be deceived by misleading posts about possible earthquakes and tsunamis.
The post also used AI-generated photos for its claim. AI-detector Sightengine flagged the photos of the earthquake and tsunami used in the post as 99% AI-generated. Hive Moderation also detected the images as 98% AI-generated.
Clickbaiting: The false information was posted in a Catholic Facebook group, persuading religious Facebook users to comment “Amen” so that they can be saved from imminent danger.
“Kapag malapit ka sa Diyos, malayo ka sa mga sakuna at anumang kapahamakan. Sana Lord, yung nagbabasa nito, ma-solve lahat ng problema. Pahingi lang ng ____,” the text on the photo says.
(If you’re close to God, you’re far from disasters and any danger. I hope Lord, the problems of those who are reading this will be resolved. Can I have a ____.)
Other posts spreading the same claim were also found in a Facebook group named “BIBLE VERSES” and “Bible Time and Prayer Warriors” posted on February 12 and 19, respectively.
Previous fact-checks: Rappler has fact-checked related claims, including a false earthquake prediction with links redirecting to a shopping site, Rudy Baldwin’s mystic claim about the “Big One” and Baldwin’s another false post about a series of earthquakes in the coming days. – Angelee Kaye Abelinde/Rappler.com
Angelee Kaye Abelinde, a campus journalist from Naga City, is a second-year Journalism student of Bicol University and the current copy editor of The Bicol Universitarian. She is a graduate of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow of Rappler for 2024.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
Add a comment
How does this make you feel?
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)