Kominfo Explains Hoax of FPI Photo on Sulawesi Disaster Aid

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government stated it had a strong reason to conclude that the photo recently circulated in the public related to humanitarian acts committed by the Islamic Defender Front (FPI) was a hoax considering its caption did not represent the reality.

Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, the Director General of Applications and Informatics at the Communication and Informatics Ministry, said the photo caption noted “quick response of FPI volunteers in evacuating victims of Palu 7.7-magnitude earthquake”. While in fact, the photo displayed FPI volunteers who helped in handling landslide victims in Tegal Panjang, Sukabumi in 2015.

“The people who write the caption is wrong. So here we clarify it,” said Semuel in his office, Wednesday, October 3.

The ministry’s public relations acting head Ferdinandus Setu seconded the statement. However, he explained the hoax did not pinpoint the FPI humanitarian acts in Central Sulawesi.

“The hoax issue is the photo; not that the FPI does not conduct humanitarian act in Palu,” he underlined.

Read also: 6 Hoaxes Related to Palu, Donggala Earthquake According to Govt

Ferdinandus explained the ministry found the photo following public complaints and analyzed it using the crawling system. “The crawling system shows that the photo is spread in 2015 in Sukabumi,” he remarked.

Earlier, FPI spokesperson Slamet Ma’arif refuted the accusation delivered by the ministry that FPI volunteers who helped the quake victims in Palu, Central Sulawesi was hoax news. “The fact in the field and the evidence are real. FPI has presented in the disaster-hit region Palu since the beginning under the leadership of FPI Palu head Ustad Sugianto,” he told Tempo Tuesday, October 2.

Slamet said FPI volunteers in Palu had helped the quake victims by coordinating with FPI regional Palu head Sugianto. The FPI from other regions, he added, had even prepared its volunteers to be mobilized to Palu and Donggala.

KARTIKA ANGGRAENI | CHITRA PARAMAESTI