VERA Files has received death threats over Facebook Messenger, including a photo of two men holding assault rifles and the message "You wanna die?" According to VERA Files president Ellen Tordesillas, the series of messages from Facebook user "Melbert Abarquez" came after a fact check on a statement by Senator Ronald Dela Rosa that recent comments by former President Rodrigo Duterte about killing police officers involved in the drug trade were said in frustration.
VERA Files pointed out that Duterte had made similar comments in the past. Among the comments sent by "Abarquez" were "Pagud na kayo huminga (Are you tired of breathing?)" and "Bka gusto nio ng kamatayan (Maybe you want death?)." The comments have been reported to Facebook, which, Tordesillas said, also took down the VERA Files fact check.
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VERA Files is one of the internationally accredited groups for reviewing news stories posted on social media, particularly Facebook.