SCREENGRAB FROM FACEBOOK
Facebook has placed the Philippines virtually on a “war footing,” but the social media giant says it was all a mistake.
“Happy Independence Day!” said Facebook in a greeting Sunday as the country celebrated its 118th anniversary of the proclamation of independence.
But the graphic message posted on the newsfeed of Filipino Facebook users had the Philippine flag shown upside-down, wrongfully signifying the country was in a state of war.
“This was unintentional, and we’re sorry,” Facebook said about the error that ignited pointed commentaries in a still politically polarized country.
LOOK: Facebook’s Independence Day greeting shows inverted flag
“We care deeply about the community in the Philippines and, in an attempt to connect people on Independence Day, we made a mistake,” its spokesperson said in a statement sent to the media.
The Philippines has about 51 million active Facebook users.
Not the first time
It was not the first time the Philippine flag was displayed wrongly.
In June 2015, Filipino sprinters Eric Shawn and Kayla Richardson gained national attention not only for bagging gold at the Southeast Asian Games but also for wearing a uniform with an inverted Philippine flag.
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KAYLA Richardson (left) and Eric Shauwn Cray are unaware that the Philippine flags on their running suits are upside down as they celebrate their victory in the men’s and women’s 100-meter runs on Tuesday. RAFFY LERMA
In a meeting in New York hosted by US President Barack Obama and attended by President Benigno Aquino in September 2010, the Philippine flag was hoisted erroneously, prompting an embarrassed White House to quickly apologize for the gaffe.
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For many countries, including the US and the United Kingdom, a flag flown upside down indicates a state of distress.
In the Philippines, it means war. /rga/ac