Claim: In the CNN Philippines’ Presidential Debate, Montemayor said he read in “papers” that American billionaire Bill Gates donated 15 million dollars to Moreno.
Rating: This is false.
Facts:
What he said
Hosts Pia Hontiveros and Pinky Webb asked, via show of hand, the nine presidential bets whether they agree that unused campaign funds should be returned to donors.
Only Moreno did not raise his hand, explaining he has “no moral ascendancy” to answer the question in favor since he admitted earlier that he kept excess donation but stressed that he paid the taxes for it.
Montemayor asked Moreno in Filipino: “How about the 15 million dollars that Bill Gates gave to you, will you return that?”
What was left out
Bill Gates did donate money, but it was to the city government of Manila where Moreno sits as mayor.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation website shows that they have committed 319,147 US dollars or roughly P16 million to Manila on February 2020.
The purpose was “to procure and demonstrate innovative, safe, off-grid toilet products and utility services in low-income communities that are not safely reachable by incumbent toilet technologies or utility services.”
Read the full story on Philstar.com.
