It has been a week after the most embarrassing photo of 3 officials (photoshopped and fabricated) circulated the cyberspace. Now, the photo concept has become viral with different versions for everyone to see.
The three DPWH officials namely, Undersecretary Romeo Momo, Director Rey Tagudando and District Engineer Mikunug Macud became instant celebrities and a trending topic in different social networking sites. The reason behind the popularity that turned out as a negative publicity? A faked photo allegedly posted by one of the agency’s staffer/ photographer.
In the photo released by the DPWH last week, it showed 3 of its officials conducting a survey/inspection in Roxas Boulevard after it was destructively hit by a typhoon. But instead of gaining praises from netizens, the said photo drew floods of criticisms for having been allegedly “Photoshopped”.
Even if the three officials were actually there and were doing their inspection, what made people criticize the post was the fact that DPWH faked the documentation of their work just so they can have the public’s approving nod. Regrettably, it turned out the other way around and netizens were just as mad even questioning the agency’s credibility especially when bigger projects with hefty budgets are at stake.
Some commented that the DPWH need not post how they are hunkering down to work. If they can fabricate a simple photo, how much more a government document.
Meanwhile, the chief of the DPWH Public Information Division, posted an apology on their Facebook account saying the photo “was not cleared yet before the staff posted it. But was already replaced.”
The three officials whose photo was publicized in cyberspace, since then, have appeared in different set-ups and have been subjected to ridicule. Some of which with Lolong the croc, as targets of the Angry Birds game, blond UP cheer dancers, as men in the moon, part of the Matrix and many more.
By : Jhoanna Mae Pareja
