The video did not show anything to support the claim. It just showed two unrelated videos – a photo of an alleged gold bullion certificate of ownership and a clip of Marcos during the FFCCCII convention.
The Supreme Court (SC) in 2017 affirmed the Sandiganbayan’s ruling on the forfeiture of former First Lady Imelda Marcos’ Malacañang collection as it was declared ill-gotten. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 7080 states that “any and all ill-gotten wealth and their interests and other incomes and assets” are “forfeited in favor of the State.”
No statements were released on Marcos’ official Facebook and Twitter accounts, Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM), or the Office of the President indicating that he had issued an order for Davila to leave the country. Content on these platforms consisted mostly of netizens’ comments urging Marcos to take action against Karen Davila.
As of writing, there have been no official announcements from the US embassy in the Philippines, Philippine Air Force, or Philippine Army regarding any acquisition of an MV-22 Osprey helicopter by the Philippines.
A press release from the United States Department of Defense and a fact sheet about EDCA released by the US embassy in the Philippines show that Subic was not chosen as an EDCA site.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), there is no cure yet for diabetes. The product known as Hạ An Đường in Vietnamese is not on the Philippine Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) list of approved drugs and food products.
The Facebook post implies that the supposed offers were made recently after a fire razed the iconic building last May 21. As of writing, there have been no announcements or news reports about any bid offers. Additionally, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna said no new building will rise on the site as the heritage building is protected by law.
Google and Yandex reverse image searches reveal that the aircraft in the video is a Mitsubishi F-2 fighter plane, not a Chinese fighter jet. According to the website of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the F-2 aircraft is a “close support fighter jet owned by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force” developed from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. It was jointly developed by MHI and American company Lockheed Martin Aeronautics as the principal US subcontractor.
According to the ADB website, the bank was founded in the 1960s with the aim of fostering economic growth and cooperation in Asia. A resolution passed at the first Ministerial Conference on Asian Economic Cooperation held by the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East in 1963 paved the way for the creation of the regional bank. The ADB was officially established through an agreement adopted by the Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Asian Development Bank, convened in Manila in December 1965. The agreement came into force on August 22, 1966.
Ilang dekada nang nasa pangangalaga ng Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) ang mga alahas ni Imelda Marcos na nakolekta noong umalis sa bansa ang pamilya noong Pebrero 1986. Pinabulaanan na rin ni dating PCGG Commissioner Andrew Castro ang claim na ito nang una itong nag-viral noong 2015. Ayon sa isang Philstar.com report, nilinaw ni Castro na walang access ang mga Aquino sa mga alahas dahil nakatago ito sa isang high-security vault.
Pinky Aquino-Abellada, Aquino’s elder sister, confirmed the death of the former president in a statement she read at Heritage Park on June 24, 2021. The family said Aquino died peacefully in his sleep at 6:30 am. His death certificate specified the cause of death as renal disease secondary to diabetes. Later that day, Aquino’s youngest sister Kris told the media that the body had been cremated. The former president was laid to rest on June 26, 2021.
A reverse image search shows that the ships in the video are the De Zeven Provincien Class frigates of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The Dutch Navy has four air defense and command frigates, namely the F802 (HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën), F803 (HNLMS Tromp), the F804 (HNLMS De Ruyter), and the F805 (HNLMS Evertsen). They were commissioned between 2002 and 2005 and are currently in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy.
Contrary to the video’s claim, Aquino could never have had access to the jewelry. For nearly three decades, the Marcoses’ ill-gotten jewelry collection has been stored in a vault at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Moreover, former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) commissioner Andrew de Castro told The STAR that since the jewelry is kept in a high-security vault, Aquino had no way to access it.
Marcos did not mention his family’s alleged gold bullion account in his opening statement at the ASEAN Summit.
The video mistakenly refers to the Bilateral Defense Guidelines between the Philippines and the US as the “Mutual Defense Guidelines of 2023.” It conflates the recently-established defense guidelines with the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).
The video cited Marcos’ sectoral meeting with the Department of Agriculture on February 28, 2023, that discussed how to ensure food security. Among the topics brought up was the National Food Security Convergence Program, which aims to support Philippine farmers and enhance the wealth creation capacity of the agriculture sector.
English and British monarchs are known as the supreme governor of the Church of England, and are bestowed the title Defender of the Faith or Fidei Defensor in Latin. The title was first granted to King Henry VIII by Pope Leo X in October 1521, in recognition of the king’s theological treatise Assertio Septem Sacramentorum (Defense of the Seven Sacraments), which defended the sacrament of marriage and the supremacy of the papacy. According to the Church of England, the title was also occasionally granted to other monarchs, such as King James V of Scotland.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has repeatedly warned the public against supposed earthquake predictions. There is currently no way to predict the exact time and place where an earthquake would occur.
There is no record of the elder Marcos visiting South Korea when he was president, based on a January 2013 Official Gazette article titled “The Foreign Trips of the Presidents,” which lists presidential foreign trips from 1935 until November 2012. The list covers state visits, official visits, working visits, summits, and private visits.
As of writing, Glufarelin is not on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) list of registered food products and drug products. The quote card template has been repeatedly reused to promote the unregistered drug, differing only in the name and photo of the person supposedly making the statement. Some fabricated quote cards, such as this one attributed to a US expert, uses the same statement but in Filipino. ABS-CBN previously said in a Facebook post that the quote card graphics were “manipulated.”
Ayon sa pinakahuling tala ng World Gold Council noong Pebrero 2023, nasa 208,874 tonelada ng ginto pa lamang ang namimina sa buong mundo, kung saan humigit-kumulang dalawang-katlo ang namina mula noong 1950. Malayo ito sa sinasabing 1,161,336,676 toneladang gold bullion sa sertipikong ipinakita.
The alleged fatalities mentioned in the video came from a war game simulation conducted by US-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and are not based on real events. The results of the simulation were published by CSIS in a report published in January 2023 called “The First Battle of the Next War.”
Iloilo provincial tourism officer Bombette Heler said that while the posts appear to have been posted for fun or as a hoax, local tourism offices were flooded with inquiries about the new destinations. “Apparently, many fell for the posts even if these were just made for fun. But some municipal tourism officers were irritated by this as it also affects them,” Heler said. He added that the matter will be discussed in a May 13 meeting with the Department of Tourism-Western Visayas and municipal tourism offices. On April 26, the Capiz Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (CTCAO) posted a statement on its Facebook page debunking the posts.
There are no official announcements that the K to 12 program has been discontinued. On April 24, Arroyo filed House Bill 7893 which proposes a “K+10+2” program to replace the K to 12 curriculum. In her explanatory note, Arroyo stated that the current program has failed to produce job-ready graduates. The Pampanga 2nd district Representative wrote: “In a country like the Philippines where the poverty incidence is 18%, there should be an option for the young to graduate from basic education soonest, after four years of high school, so that they can help their parents in their farms or micro-businesses.”
The contents of the video floated the idea that Marcos’ meeting with World Bank Group officials in September 2022 intended to discuss claiming interest from gold deposits supposedly made by the late Ferdinand E. Marcos. However, no evidence supported this claim.
While the video claims the incident occurred “last week,” the near-collision happened last April 23, when the BRP Malapascua and BRP Malabrigo were intercepted by Chinese coast guard vessels in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal.
Davao Oriental State University president Dr. Roy Ponce, who has conducted extensive research on Pujada Bay, told Rappler that the “Sleeping Dinosaur” can be more appropriately described as a peninsula or promontory, not an island. Articles posted on the Davao Oriental government website, such as these posts from 2019 and 2020, also refer to the land formation as a promontory. The provincial government of Davao Oriental also called the land feature as a “Sleeping Dinosaur” and did not refer to it as an island in a Facebook post published on April 4, 2023.
Marcos did not announce that NAIA would be renamed. While the video’s title claims that the President has issued such an order, the contents of the video do not support this claim, and instead focus on former Senator Franklin Drilon’s opposition to a proposal to rename the airport.
Two days after it was posted, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) spotted the claim and immediately belied the content of the video. “The Office of Civil Defense Region VIII would like to clarify that the Tiktok video circulating online pertaining to the schedule of multiple volcanic eruptions and tsunamis in Leyte and Southern Leyte has no scientific proof, thus, FALSE,” the OCD statement on Wednesday, April 19, said.
The Department of Education (DepEd) completed the review of the revised K-10 curriculum last April, while the review of the curriculum for Grades 11 and 12 is still ongoing.
It’s impossible for Marcos and Swift to have met because the pop star was in Arlington, Texas on May 1, 2023, for her The Eras Tour at the time Marcos was in Washington D.C. as part of his official visit to the US.
The thumbnail photo has also been used in social media posts showing military equipment supposedly acquired during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term. Rappler previously published a fact-check article on this. At around the 2:32 mark, the Facebook video says in Filipino that Santa Barbara Sistemas recently presented the ASCOD platform with Philippine Army markings in its Spain factory, and that these were set to be delivered to Israel’s Elbit Systems.
No announcements of the supposed purchase can be found on the Philippine Air Force (PAF)’s official Facebook page or Twitter profile. The A-10 fighter jet is also not on the list of aircraft on the PAF’s official website.
ACT Teachers party list is a member of Makabayan, a political coalition of progressive party-list groups. Both the Makabayan bloc and its member organizations are accredited by the Commission on Elections and have been participating in elections since they meet the criteria of Republic Act 7491 or the Party-List System Act. Under Section 6.2 of the law, any organization which “advocates violence or unlawful means to seek its goal” are excluded from registration.
The idea for the project was first pitched by former Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chair Felicito Payumo in 1987 during his first term as Bataan representative, according to an Inquirer.net report and documents provided to Rappler by Payumo’s daughter Aileen.
Interpretations of the Bible and end time prophecy are the subjects of scholarly debate, including theories about whether certain countries are named or referred to in biblical passages. Though the Bible sometimes mentions catastrophes within nations, the video’s claim that the US and its prophesied downfall is explicitly mentioned in the Bible is false. “United States of America” or “America” do not appear anywhere in the main text of the King James, Christian Standard, Magandang Balita Biblia, or New International versions of the book. The video also makes reference to “The Beast”, mentioned in the Book of Revelation and often associated with end time prophecy. While the video says that the beast is “represented by the US,” no Bible passages support this claim.
Ang tinutukoy na deposito ng ginto at ang kasunduang nakapangalan kina Marcos at Reagan ay wala sa talaan ng Presidential Commission on Good Government, ang ahensiyang itinatag para mabawi ang nakaw na yaman ng mga Marcos.
The IMF report referenced in the Facebook post features a more comprehensive list that shows three Asian countries with projected 2023 GDP growth rates exceeding the Philippines’ 6%. The Facebook post matches the data in Annex Table 1.1.2 of the report, which lists only seven countries – China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, and Malaysia – under the category “Emerging and Developing Asia.”
The quote card attributed to Barnard is dubious. The PGH has branded the Facebook page containing the fabricated quote card illegitimate and denies endorsing any product. The quote card with Barnard’s name and photo uses the same statement and template as in other fabricated quote cards promoting Glufarelin. On April 6, Rappler published fact checks of bogus quote cards attributed to health experts Dr. Tony Leachon, Dr. Eric Tayag, and Dr. Freddie Gomez.
The YouTube video in question does not provide any sources for its claims. In fact, the video itself contains neither footage nor narration relevant to the claim made in its thumbnail. Instead, the video is merely a compilation of unrelated stock photos of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Chinese President Xi Jinping with an added voiceover of an outdated UNTV news interview of Bam Aquino from 2017 discussing former President Rodrigo Duterte’s independent foreign policy.
As of writing, Satochi is not in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists of food products and drug products. Facebook page “Satochi- Supporting Diabetes In The Philippines” promotes Satochi by using a screenshot of an FDA License to Operate of a company named Zoma Trading International Corp.
The full claim about the injuries, deaths, and economic loss allegedly caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was first found in an analysis entitled, “The Vaccine Damage Project” that was released in March 2023 by Phinance Technologies, a global macro alternative investment firm.
According to Siemens Energy’s website, battery energy systems are rechargeable batteries that can store energy from different sources and discharge it when needed. Siemens Energy is an energy company based in Munich, Germany. In the Philippines, BESS technology was “pioneered in the Philippines as far back as 2016″ by the Masinloc BESS, according to San Miguel Corporation’s (SMC) website. San Miguel Global Power, the energy arm of SMC, procured the Masinloc BESS back in 2018.
Balikatan exercises do not involve military confrontation: “Balikatan” is an annual joint military exercise of the United States and the Philippines that aims to bolster the security of both countries by enhancing “existing mutual security efforts.” In the 2023 Balikatan exercises, the major events are the main command post exercise, cyber defense exercise, field training exercise, and humanitarian civic assistance. They do not involve engaging with Chinese vessels.
The Wall Street Journal said in an article that the US dollar remains as the world reserve currency despite its foreign exchange shares dropping below 59%. The report said the yuan’s wider use is still limited by China’s strict capital control over the currency, barring its usage outside of trades with China. British broker Capital.com also suggested that the US dollar index can continue to rise up to 119.193 in 2025. As of writing, there are no reports that indicate the US dollar has been replaced by any currency as the international reserve currency.
A check with the Davao regional office of the Department of Tourism showed that the regional center, Davao City, already has two musical dancing fountains, one is located in the government-run People’s Park and the other one is located in the privately-run SM Lanang Premier.
According to reports from Reuters, CNN Philippines, and The New York Times, Ukraine asked the US and NATO to send F-16 fighter jets, not the F-15 Eagle model that the video mentions.
Using reverse image search shows that the ships shown in the video are the USS Independence (LCS 2) and the USS Coronado (LCS 4), two littoral combat ships built for the US Navy. The Independence was launched on April 28, 2008 and was decommissioned on July 31, 2021. It currently resides in the US Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, Washington. The USS Coronado was launched on January 14, 2012 and was decommissioned on September 14, 2022 at San Diego, California.
The DOH and ABS-CBN denied that the three health experts Tayag, Leachon, and Gomez said the statements found in the quote cards. Leachon, in a March 25 post from his official Facebook page, showed a screenshot of a post from “Manila Hospital News” with the same quote card but with his name and picture, and said, “THIS IS FAKE!” That post from “Manila Hospital News” seems to be no longer available as of writing.
Gomez, in a message to Rappler, clarified that he does not promote any medication. “No, I do not, or have ever promoted any medications. Nor do I have anything to do with [M]anila [H]ospital [N]ews,” was his message when asked if he promotes any health and medical products. Currently, he is an anchor of MedTalk/HealthTalk, a health program of CNN Philippines. Gomez also clarified he was not a part of IATF, contrary to the post’s claim.
Nowhere in the transcript of Duterte’s full speech posted on the website of the Office of the Vice President on January 30 did the education secretary say that the K-12 program has been abolished already. The entire speech can be watched on the Radio Television-Malacañang Facebook page. The video used false time labels, too, making it appear that Duterte’s speech was new when, in fact, the video was uploaded more than a month already after Duterte’s speech on January 30.
According to a Johns Hopkins University study on the history of the Philippine currency, the gold-exchange standard for the Philippine peso was abandoned in 1949 with the establishment of the Central Bank of the Philippines, now the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The study also said the monetary system of the country has since then followed the central bank-regulated fiat currency. Unlike the gold standard, a fiat currency’s value is not fixed in gold.
In a Facebook post on April 4, Leachon debunked the claim and called it “fake news.” He clarified that he is not affiliated with www.fdaapprove.com and reminded the public that his official and verified Facebook account is Dr. Tony Leachon.
The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has debunked the all-cure claim of GFMQ for their products as the agency has warned the public not to purchase the Paragis Bila-Bila Plus Herbal Capsule and Linement Oil because the products are unlicensed. The FDA has issued a stern warning to all establishments in the country that continue to sell the GFMQ products as the agency has vowed to pursue regulatory actions and sanctions against violators of the law.
According to the United States National Library of Medicine website, deuterium is a hydrogen isotope described as a “colorless, odorless gas that is highly flammable.” Claims about the Philippines being rich in deuterium are not new. The first claims about deuterium in the Philippines can be traced back to 1987, when an article released by the Media Mindanao News Service claimed that the largest deposit of deuterium could be found in the Philippine Deep in Surigao Norte. This article has been debunked by both Rappler and VERA Files. The claim, first made by “scientist” Cesar Escosa, has not been backed by any reliable sources.
No such Letter of Instruction prescribing the distribution of “Marcos gold” exists. A check with the Official Gazette confirms that while there was a Letter of Instruction signed by Marcos on January 12, 1983 – Letter of Instruction No. 1282, s. 1983 – it does not contain the text of the claimed LOI shown in the video. The actual LOI instead details the uses of intelligence funds to be allocated or released. There is no other LOI signed by Marcos on the same date.
In August 2022, events company Pandora’s Box (in partnership with Jakarta’s light rail transit agency) launched “Train to Apocalypse,” which was inspired by the Korean horror film Train to Busan. “Train to Apocalypse” offered a haunted-house experience for passengers in Jakarta’s light rail transit. The event ran from August 5 to September 11, 2022.
The US blacklisting of Bensouda was no longer in effect at the time the video was uploaded by “Showbiz Fanaticz” on March 19, 2023. Bensouda’s blacklist is no longer in effect after US President Joe Biden signed Executive Order (EO) 14022 on April 1, 2021. It served to revoke Trump’s earlier executive order which was the basis for blacklisting Bensouda. The EO said that Trump’s sanctions were “not an effective or appropriate strategy for addressing the United States’ concerns with the ICC” although it also mentioned that the US continues to object to the ICC’s assertions of jurisdiction over its personnel.
Contrary to the video’s claim, Aquino could never have had access to the jewelry. For nearly three decades, the Marcoses’ ill-gotten jewelry collection has been stored in a vault at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Moreover, former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) commissioner Andrew de Castro told The STAR that since the jewelry is kept in a high-security vault, Aquino had no way to access it.
Rappler had previously published multiple fact checks on Marcos’ last will and testament. The document makes no mention of a 50-year time deposit that contains trillions of dollars’ worth of gold. Furthermore, Tsek.ph debunked a similar claim that said Marcos left 7,000 metric tons of gold in a 50-year time deposit from 1950 to 2000. This fact check stated that, while former first lady Imelda Marcos previously said they had in their possession 7,000 metric tons of gold, there has been no evidence to prove this.
The presence of natural gas deposits in Ligawasan Marsh (formerly spelled Liguasan) was officially confirmed in 1997 under the Tukanakuden Oil Exploration Project, a joint project by the government-owned Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) and the Malaysian company Petronas. During this time, Fidel V. Ramos is already on his 5th year as president of the Philippines. His term started in 1992 and ended in 1998.
Imelda Marcos’ daughter, Senator Imee Marcos, denied claims during an interview on Super Radyo dzBB about her mother’s supposed death. The senator said similar rumors had surfaced in the week prior. In an Inquirer.net article on March 23, Eliza Romualdez-Vastos, Imelda’s niece, disproved the claims by showing a picture of the former first lady with the caption “Still strong and kicking.” The post has since been deleted. A recent Instagram post of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, posted on March 26, showed a selfie with the 93-year-old Imelda – proof that she was still alive.
The NIH and Leachon have denied links to the said website and Facebook page, and have denied endorsing Glufarelin as well. Dr. Marie Carmela Lapitan, NIH Deputy Director for Research Operations, told Rappler through an email that they do not own the website nor the Facebook page endorsing Glufarelin. The NIH, which is found in University of the Philippines-Manila, added that this is their official website: https://nih.upm.edu.ph/. In an email response to Rappler on March 23, Leachon said he deems the actions of organizations promoting Glufarelin, such as those with the website and Facebook page using NIH’s name, as “unacceptable.” He said in his email: “They have been using my name and pictures without my permission.”
The CNN article cited in the video reports that the relocation of troops and missile units in remote islands near China and Taiwan was made to reinforce regional defenses. The move is a response to the increased spotting of Chinese warships on the islands’ contiguous zone. Article III of Japan’s National Defense Program Outline clearly states that the country has an exclusively defense-oriented policy in response to threats from other countries.
The Santo Niño de Cebú wooden statue was first brought by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan when he arrived on the island of Cebu in 1521. It was presented as a gift to the chieftain’s wife. According to Atlas Obscura, the carved figure is believed to have originated from Flanders, Belgium, and traveled with Magellan on his voyage from Spain to the Philippines. According to the official website of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu, the wooden figure is historically recognized as the oldest religious relic in the Philippines.
A reverse image search shows that the ship shown in the video is the SAS Mendi (F148), one of four Valour-class warships built for the South African Navy. According to Military Factory, the vessel was first launched on June 28, 2002. After successfully completing the necessary sea tests, the SAS Mendi was formally commissioned with the South African Navy on March 20, 2007. As of 2023, the warship is still operational.
According to the video, Marcos is the world’s smartest president with an IQ of 180+. According to Mensa International, IQ, short for intelligence quotient, is a type of standard score that measures how far above or below his or her peer group an individual stands in mental ability. Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world founded in 1946 at Oxford, United Kingdom. Mensa said on its website that an IQ between 90 and 110 is considered average, while anything beyond 120 is considered superior. Forbes stated that German physicist Albert Einstein’s IQ is widely estimated to be around 160, as was British physicist Stephen Hawking’s. The claim that Marcos’ IQ is 180+ would make him more intelligent than both Hawking and Einstein.
Gaviões da Fiel, a Samba school, performed the skit in the 2019 Carnival festivities – the last Carnival held before the COVID-19 pandemic. Carnival in Brazil is no stranger to evocative imagery in the participants’ costumes, floats, and other props. In the 2019 edition, demon-like designs, serpents, pirates, and pterodactyls among others, were featured in the festivities.
The video, posted on YouTube, shows military tanks being driven down a city road. Text shown in the video says: “MGA TANKE DE GYERA NG JAPAN UMARANGKADA NA” (The Japanese war tanks are marching forward). More text flashed claims that Japan has started sending tanks into North Korean territory supposedly in retaliation for North Korean missiles allegedly being fired at Japan. Using a reverse image search shows that the clips being played in the video were taken from the Japanese YouTube channel 雅. Translated to English, the original video is titled “Ground Self-Defense Force Western Army 61st Anniversary Commemorative Event Parade.” The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, also referred to as the Japanese Army, is a branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
The video shows a clip of several tanks and other military vehicles in a boat, reportedly on their way to the Philippines. The original video which contains the clip was first posted by the YouTube channel MIL3010. The video, posted on December 9, 2022, is titled “US Army, NATO. Loading M1A2 Abrams tanks and armored vehicles on a ship to Europe.” Text on screen states that the US shipped tanks and armored vehicles for exercises and to strengthen the defense of NATO countries.
The video did not show any proof that supports the claim. Instead, it showed two unrelated clips – an alleged Banco de Oro gold bullion deposit certificate owned by the Marcos family and DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan’s press briefing for the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) on March 14, 2023. The Banco de Oro gold bullion deposit certificate was debunked in a previous Rappler fact check article. It showed the certificate, allegedly signed by former president Ferdinand E. Marcos, with a Banco de Oro logo used seven years after Marcos’ death.
The entire YouTube video is a collection of old, unrelated video clips manipulated to mislead viewers into thinking that a naval conflict was ongoing between Indonesia and China. For example, performing a reverse image search on one of the sunken boats shown in the video will reveal that the vessel in question is actually an illegal Patagonian toothfish poaching ship called the Viking. The Viking, which is not a Chinese vessel, was sunk by the Indonesian government in 2016 as part of the country’s efforts to stop illegal Patagonian toothfish poaching in their waters.
The OWWA is providing up to P20,000 livelihood assistance to distressed or displaced OFWs through the Balik Pinas! Balik Hanapbuhay! (BPBH) Program. The amount of livelihood assistance given to distressed or displaced OFWs depends on their contributions as OWWA members. Active members will receive P20,000, while inactive members with two or more contributions will receive P10,000. Inactive members with one contribution will get P5,000.
The human body contains several radionuclides, which are elements that release radiation. The main source of radioactivity in the body is the natural radionuclide Potassium-40 while the others are all too small in amount to be detected. According to various data, an adult person weighing 70 kilograms contains 4,000 to 5,000 becquerel (Bq) of Potassium-40. This amount of radionuclides, however, does not simply equate to the amount of radiation emitted by the human body. Making this assumption leads to inaccurate amounts such as what’s stated in the false claim.
The claim used a clip first uploaded by YouTube user NYX Defense on July 8, 2021. The title of NYX Defense’s video showed a CH-47F Chinook helicopter being unloaded from a United States C-5M Super Galaxy for delivery to the Australian army. According to a press release of the United States Air Force (USAF) 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs on July 28, 2021, the transfer of two Chinook helicopters to Australia is part of the US Defense Department’s Foreign Military Sales program.
The video did not show any information to support the claim. Instead, a video of the Department of Finance Secretary, Benjamin Diokno, was played throughout the video. The video was taken from a press briefing for the Malacañang Press Corps last March 7, 2023.
The DND-OCD denied that the information mentioned in the text came from their office. Phivolcs also denied that the message had come from them. Even if the material of fault lines can contribute to the increased magnitude of an earthquake, there is no scientific way to predict when earthquakes will occur.
Although the Angat Buhay NGO aims to be the largest volunteer network in the country, as mentioned by Robredo herself, she said nothing about wanting to surpass the government. A previous Rappler fact check debunked a claim that Robredo visited the Department of Social Welfare and Development unannounced, when, in fact, Robredo scheduled an appointment with the DSWD to discuss “programs and possible points for collaboration” with then-secretary Erwin Tulfo.
Most of the military equipment shown in the series of Facebook photos were acquired or used before President Marcos Jr.’s term began in June 2022.
Reyes’ photo with the “Reyes on BBM” description was taken before Marcos became president. Reyes’ photo with the description “Reyes on BBM” already existed before Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration began in June 2022.
A reverse image search on the video’s thumbnail leads to a news report from the Maritime Exclusive, which reveals that the vessel in question is an illegal toothfish poaching vessel called the Viking. In fact, the clip used in the misleading claim is actually edited footage from Euronews, which shows the Viking being sunk by Indonesian authorities for unlawful poaching. The ship was part of the “Bandit 6” — a group of six fishing vessels that were illegally hunting Patagonian toothfish in the Southern Ocean. The collaborative efforts of national governments and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society led to the cessation of the group’s illegal activities in 2016.
There are no connections that could be made to support the false claim. The video containing the claim stitched two unrelated videos – a Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) video and a video of an alleged certificate of ownership for 217,500 metric tons of gold bullion. The RTVM video shows that the alleged gold bullion account of the Marcos family wasn’t mentioned throughout the President’s visit to MPFI’s Mega Global Manufacturing Plant on March 1, 2023. Even the President himself did not say anything in his speech during the plant’s inauguration that could connect MPFI to his family’s alleged gold bullion account.
The video containing the claim used a clip from a YouTube video uploaded by user Ambri Channel on February 13, 2023. According to Ambri Channel, the video shows Indonesian Navy’s KRI Posepa 870 patrol vessel. According to a press release from Indonesian Navy’s website, KRI Posepa 870 was launched on July 27, 2020. The press release also said the patrol vessel was planned to be stationed at the Indonesian Navy Main Base (Lantamal) V.
The YouTube video did not provide any proof of the claim said in the thumbnail. The video discussed the following topics: the supposed decrease in spam messages thru short message service (SMS), the financial assistance given by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to unpaid Overseas Filipino Workers, infrastructure projects, digital literacy, and the Human Rights Defenders Bill.
Phivolcs Science Research specialist Dr. Raymond Patrick Maximo said Mt. Leonard Kniaseff is in no way connected to the earthquakes experienced by the whole province and neighboring areas in the past weeks. He explained that volcanic earthquakes are associated with the movement of magma inside an active volcano, and that the Davao de Oro series of earthquakes were a result of the movement of the Caraga River Fault with a 1,250-kilometer span.
The advertisement uses Kris Aquino’s name and alters photos to make it appear that she believes in the product
Article VI, Section 16 of the Constitution says it is the members of the House of Representative who may suspend or expel a representative of Congress
No order abolishing the Presidential Commission on Good Government has been signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The National Citizens Service Training (NCST) bill approved by the House of Representatives does not equate to implementation of mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)
News of Argentine forces firing at a Chinese fishing vessel that happened in March 2019 was reposted as recent news on March 6, 2023
Dr. Josephine Grace Rojo, in her Facebook post, warns the public against the fake accounts that use her name and face in the advertisement of some products
The Belarus military force has about 1,560,000 troops who will only fight once their country is attacked
The UP System, which consists of its branches and the Philippine General Hospital, has a P24.2-billion appropriation in the 2023 budget
Caritas Philippines’ 2021 statement in support of the House of Representatives’ cease-and-desist order against Kaliwa Dam Project is altered to appear they support the project
The clip shown in the video containing the claim was first uploaded by YouTube user Wilson Adam Wong on January 23, 2023. The video shows Singaporean military vehicles as they pass a road.
There were no specific locations yet of the country’s military bases that the US military will get access to.
No announcement about the supposed P10,000 cash assistance can be found on the website or Facebook page of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Despite the video’s claim, the Senate has not passed any bill seeking to abolish the K-12 program. Even if the Senate passed such bill, that doesn’t automatically make it a law. Bicameral approval and the President’s signature are needed.
In May of 2020, DefenseNews reported that the US State Department had approved a potential sale of six units each of the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters or the Boeing-made AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. At the time, however, the US’ Defense Security Cooperation Agency reported that the Philippines was still considering the offer, and that no sale was final. The Philippines was also considering the Turkish-made T129 ATAK at the time.
