SMNI’s X account makes the false claim that 50,000 supporters were at the pro-Quiboloy rally at Liwasang Bonifacio.
CLAIM: 50,000 people were present at the pro-Quiboloy rally at Liwasang Bonifacio on March 4, 2024
RATING: FALSE
The X account of Sonshine Media Network, Inc. (SMNI) made the false claim that 50,000 supporters of their pastor, Apollo C. Quiboloy, were at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila to express support for their controversial leader.
On March 4, the SMNI X account posted:
Higit 50 libong tagasuporta ni Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy ang nakiisa sa katatapos lamang na KAKISAB Prayer Rally na ginanap sa Liwasang Bonifacio sa Maynila, nitong hapon ng Lunes, Marso 4, 2024.
To check the veracity of this claim, PressOne.PH used Mapchecking.com, a website that estimates and fact-checks the maximum number of people standing in a given area.
PressOne.PH was able to determine that Liwasang Bonifacio, which has a total area of 1,922 square meters, can only hold a maximum of 9,612 people or five people per square meter.
A photo of the pro-Quiboloy rally showed that Liwasang Bonifacio was not packed to capacity.
Manila Bulletin’s Facebook page also shared a drone video of the rally showing that the space at Liwasang Bonifacio was not filled up by Quiboloy’s supporters. Rommel F. Lopez
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