FACT-CHECK: Malacañang did not fly Philippine flag at half-mast

CLAIM: The Philippine flag was flown at half-mast at Malacañan Palace. 

RATING: FALSE

A YouTube video falsely claimed that the Philippine flag was flown half-mast at Malacañang, stoking rumours around the president’s health issues.

Flagged content: Youtube channel “The Wonders Philippines” alleged on April 11 that the flag at the Palace was lowered to mourn the death of a Palace official. 

• The headline of the video read, “FLAG SA MALACAÑANG NAKA HALF MASS! SINO ANG PUMANAW? MAY NAMATAY? JAY SONZA!”
• A supposed screenshot of a Facebook post by Jay Sonza, a known Duterte supporter claiming to have photographed the flag, appeared in the video along with photos of the former president Rodrigo Duterte, Vice President Sara Duterte, and Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte.
• The content creator then proceeded to react to a video posted by an account named “The General’s Viewpoint,” which warned vloggers to be mindful of “fake news” that could allegedly be used by the Marcos administration to divert public attention from corruption and the economic crisis.

Our debunk: The photo in question is not recent. 

• It was first used in a Philippine News Agency (PNA) report published on Sept. 3, 2024, during the declaration of the National Day of Mourning for national living treasure awardee Federico Caballero. 
• The Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines requires the flag to be flown “on the day of official announcement of the death” of the official or person who is specified by the law or determined by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines to have rendered distinguished service to the nation.

Rewind: President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. health has recently been at the center of disinformation efforts. 

• This has prompted newsrooms and journalists to come out with statements denying allegations they were in cahoots with the administration to cover up the president’s condition.
• Malacañang has repeatedly dismissed these rumors, with Marcos Jr. appearing before the media performing physical activities such as jogging and lifting sacks of rice.  

Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube account has previously posted similar anti-Marcos content, as well as posts that portray the Duterte family in a positive light.

• The video has drawn 45,622 views, 2,000 likes, and 272 comments as of writing. 

Spot the fake: A common tactic in disinformation campaigns is to use an existing photo to legitimize new false narratives. 

• A reverse image search is a useful way to evaluate and verify such claims, as it helps track where and when an image first appeared.
• Simply upload the photo on Google Lens or use similar reverse image search tools like InVid or RevEye. Savannah Lantay

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