MANILA, Philippines - The koala now has a different meaning, thanks to the controversy surrounding the recently-concluded Philippine nationwide automated elections.

While the koala in Down Under refers to the furry mammal native to Australia, the koala in the Philippines refers to a masked man who claimed he was involved in the alleged massive cheating in the May 10 polls. (Read: Comelec to critics, 'Koala Bear': Enough is enough)

The whistleblower, who is called “Robin,” is also referred to as “Koala Bear” by Philippine officials and media members.

Makati Rep. Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin said Malacañang was behind “Koala Bear,” even claiming that the video of the whistleblower came from former Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.

Even vice-presidential frontrunner Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay was curious about who “koala bear” was. (Read: Binay asking around about 'Koala bear') 

But first things first, the koala is not a bear.

The mammal is actually a marsupial—it does not develop a true placenta and women koalas have a pouch on the abdomen to carry their baby called joey. Other marsupials include the kangaroo, wombat, bandicoot and opossum.

A koala is in fact an arboreal marsupial, meaning it inhabits trees. Its diet is composed of eucalyptus leaves.

According to TheKoala.com, the animal got its name from an ancient Aboriginal word meaning “no drink” because it gets more than 90% of its hydration from eucalyptus leaves. It only drinks when it is ill or times when there is not enough moisture in the leaves such as droughts.

While it is not a bear, Merriam-Webster Dictionary noted that it has become acceptable to call it a koala bear because it has bear-like features: dense grey fur, hairy ears and sharp claws.

The small marsupial, which is about 9 kilograms or 2 lbs. in weight, can sometimes have a tinge of brown in its thick fur.