Another One For Ripley

 

Somewhere on the internet, a very hardworking imagination announced that Brunei had personally decided to send oil straight to Davao City—as if fuel were a care package and cities could just receive it like an online delivery.

“Your oil has arrived,” the post seemed to say. “Please check your doorstep.”

Naturally, the Davao City Information Office responded with the least exciting plot twist in history: “No, it hasn’t.”

No secret deal. No hidden shipment. Not even a lost tanker asking for directions.

But the rumor was already alive and well, because in the age of social media, facts travel by bicycle while fake news rides a sports car.

The story itself is beautiful in its simplicity. 

Why deal with complicated national regulations when a city can apparently just text another country: “Hi, Brunei. One oil, please. Urgent. Prices are high.”

And Brunei, being very accommodating in this fictional universe, replies: “On the way. No paperwork needed.”

Of course, in real life, importing oil is handled at the national level. 

Cities don’t just wake up and decide to run their own fuel business. 

That’s like a barangay opening its own space program because the sky looks available.

There’s also the tiny issue of infrastructure. 

Davao City does not have a crude oil refinery. Which means even if oil magically appeared, the city would stare at it like: “Great. Now what do we do with this?”

Refine it using good vibes?

Still, the rumor spread, because it arrived at the perfect time—when fuel prices were high, and hope was even higher. 

And nothing travels faster than a story that says, “Don’t worry, someone else is secretly fixing everything.”

In the end, the whole situation teaches an important lesson:
When something sounds too convenient, too heroic, and too easy… it probably came from a Facebook post with dramatic background music.

Real solutions are slow, complicated, and full of paperwork.

Fake ones arrive instantly—with free delivery and zero evidence.

Gullible much? Not really.  

Since the news comes from the same company and producers that contacted China to relocate OFWs from the horrors of war ... I ignore it nonchalantly and give it a non-committal attitude.