CLAIM: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. collapsed at a Palace event on April 9.
RATING: FALSE
A Facebook post used AI-generated images to falsely show President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. collapsing during a function in Malacañang.
Flagged content: The photos were uploaded on Facebook on April 9, with a caption falsely claiming that the incident was captured during a livestream.
- Facebook user Izang Wineland uploaded the images in Facebook group “Duterte Supporters,” claiming that “He’s even live right now and Enrile is there… “the drugged-out supporters will probably say” the photos were fake.
AI-generated: The post consists of three photos of the president supposedly falling and being carried by four men. All three photos have been confirmed to be AI-generated.
- FakeImageDetector.com found an 80% likelihood that all three images are “computer generated or modified.”
- In the second picture, the arms and hands of the president as well as of the men that were carrying him appear to be muddled and deformed, a trait consistent with AI-generated images.
- A reverse image search using Google and Tineye did not reveal any reliable source that can verify the images’ origins.
Our debunk: The Palace has denied rumors of the president being ill.
- There have been no reports from reputable news agencies of the president having suffered a fall.
- Marcos was seen jogging outside Malacañang on April 13 and carrying sacks of rice during a distribution event on April 16.
Palace statements: Palace Press Officer Clare Castro said in a press briefing on April 6 that the president was “definitely” well.
- Marcos Jr. himself said he was “in very good health” in a press conference on April 13.
Rewind: The post was uploaded on April 9 amid rumors of the president’s declining health and continued tension between the Marcos administration and the Duterte camp.
- Marcos Jr.’s absence in an event with overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) on April 6 raised questions pertaining to his health.
- In January, similar rumors arose when the president was diagnosed with diverticulitis.
Why we fact-checked this: As of writing, the Facebook post has drawn 101 likes, 49 comments, and 50 shares.
- Facebook account Izang Wineland has over 220,000 followers.
Spot the fake: Stay vigilant against suspicious and inflammatory posts.
- Check with official websites and reputable news outlets to confirm the facts.
- Learn to spot artifacts, inconsistencies and other common traits of AI-generated content to detect false information. Khloe Lim
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