A Facebook group of Duterte supporters claimed that the Philippine Navy has an aircraft carrier named “BRP Duterte” that drove away Chinese ships in the West Philippine Sea.
The pro-Duterte page shared a screenshot of a tweet that featured a picture of the Philippine Navy’s allegedly most modern aircraft carrier as part of its modernization efforts under the administration.
However, there are numerous false claims on the post itself.
There are no online records of an aircraft carrier belonging to the Philippine Navy that is named “BRP Duterte.”
A reverse image search on Google revealed that the picture is an aircraft carrier belonging to the United States Navy. It is the USS Gerald R. Ford which was officially commissioned on July 22, 2017.
It was found on CNET’s website where it noted that the picture is a “combination model and live shot photo” of the US Navy’s new generation of warships that time.
“The Ford class features a new nuclear power plant, a redesigned island, electromagnetic catapults, improved weapons movement, an enhanced flight deck capable of increased aircraft sortie rates, and growth margin for future technologies,” a press release of it reads.
The actual logo of the Philippine Navy also features a golden sea lion holding a sword with an anchor.
The logo on the post, however, features an edited logo where a picture of a jetskiing man is seen.
Furthermore, there are no news reports of China backing out of the West Philippine Sea as well.
In fact, the military on April 8, Tuesday confirmed that hundreds of Chinese vessels have been found loitering near Pag-asa Island, which is under the jurisdiction of Kalayaan municipality in Palawan.