Malacañang on Friday dismissed as false claims circulating online that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s attendance at the Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) observance in Bataan on Thursday, April 9, was generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
During a press conference, Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro said the President was fulfilling his duties to the Filipino people and the country, while noting that the spread of such claims may be part of efforts to discredit the administration.
“Ginagampanan lamang ng Pangulo ang kanyang obligasyon para sa taumbayan at para sa bayan nito. Kung mayroong mga naninira, alam naman natin kung saang parte ito nanggagaling,“ Castro said.
The Palace official also urged vigilance in combating fake news, particularly amid recurring false claims online since last year.
“Suportahan natin ang gobyerno at labanan natin ang fake news,” she said.
The Palace noted that mainstream media organizations were aware of the issue and encouraged the public to help verify information circulating online.
“Alam naman ng mainstream media yung katotohanan. Yung mga matitinong mainstream media, yung mga matitino sa social media, kayo na po ang magpatunay kung ang nakikita nila na ginagampanan ng Pangulo na event ay AI lamang o totoo,” she added.
Castro emphasized that President Marcos continues to carry out his responsibilities and called on the public to support efforts to combat misinformation.
“Mayroon bang pagkakataon sinasadya ba, alam naman nain kung anong fake nes ang nagsisilabasan ito'y halos lahat laban sa Pangulo at sa administrasyon na ito. Patungkol sa kalusugan, wala daw ginagawa ang gobyerno, lalong-lalo na patungkol sa krisis sa Middle East 'yan ay lahat kasinungalingan. Kitang-kita natin kung paano gumalaw ang Pangulo, at kung papaano magtrabaho ang gobyernong ito," she said.
Castro said the Palace has begun taking action against those behind the spread of false claims, citing Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez, who confirmed that complaints are being prepared against individuals involved, following a directive from the President. She added that the PCO has coordinated with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the source of the misinformation and identify those responsible.
Meanwhile, the PCO announced plans to launch a platform where the public can report fake news and identify individuals responsible for spreading false information.
“Gagawa po ang PCO ng website o platform kung saan niyo isusumbong lahat ng fake news na nagkakalat at 'yan po ay hindi namin tutulugan at lahat po 'yan ay dapat na sampahan ng kaso,“ she said.
The agency earlier warned that those behind misinformation campaigns, including claims about the President’s health, would be tracked and held accountable.
