Alex Gonzaga has been criticized by a netizen after she forwarded fake news on Twitter, Pep.ph reported.
Gonzaga posted a message on her account about how a number of the new patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have contracted the virus from grocery shopping.
The message also recommended buying supplies in bulk and disinfecting grocery items with a cup of cholorox and nine cups of water.
The Philippine General Hospital (PGH), however, debunked the claims of the message—noting that the most important risk factors to the disease are the patients’ travel history from highly impacted areas, and close contact with confirmed cases.
One netizen tagged Gonzaga on the hospital’s advisory, telling her to contemplate on the information first before disseminating it, and that she is not helping the situation.
“Hello @Mscathygonzaga, you have 2M++ followers, i hope before you post something that has been forwarded to you, you may want to consider the following: 1. Contemplate on the message first; 2. If you didn’t understand, try to ask; 3. Or verify the info first. You’re not helping sa totoo lang,” the netizen said in his tweet.
Gonzaga deleted the tweet and responded to the netizen with an apology, saying “Hi yes! Sorry i deleted it na! It was forwarded kasi from a friend na may contact sa doctors. Pasensya na.”
The netizen, however, continued to criticize her, saying she does not have any contribution and that she and her sister Toni lack character development.
Gonzaga responded by saying she and Toni are helping the best way they can.
“Lahat ng lumalapit kung pwede mabigyan tulong tinatry namin. Kung di pa ambag sayo yun, pasensya na,” she said.