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Helen Flores - The Philippine Star
April 11, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) will launch a platform that will allow the public to take part in the government’s anti-fake news efforts amid a surge of disinformation about President Marcos’ health.
“The PCO will create a website or a platform where you can report all fake news,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said at a press briefing.
Castro said the PCO would also help in filing charges against those spreading fake news.
The Palace made the statement as media entities observed a surge of fake news about the President’s health in their social media comment sections.
Meanwhile, Castro also lashed out at Vice President Sara Duterte over her comment on the President’s health.
In an interview, Duterte, Marcos’ former ally, said, “Good luck to him,” when asked for a message she would like to relay to the President as rumors swirled online about his supposed serious illness.
“As the saying goes, ‘An idle mind is the devil’s playground,’” Castro said, calling the Vice President’s response “irresponsible.”
Destabilization
The National Bureau of Investigation is not ruling out the possibility that the spread of fake news is linked to alleged destabilization efforts against the President.
NBI spokesman Palmer Mallari said the agency is considering that “the real reason” behind the recent wave of disinformation could be “destabilization.”
“In fact, Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code states the unlawful use of means of publication if the intention is to endanger public order or affect the national interest; we can see that this is probably the reason why there has been widespread fake news about the President over the past few days,” Mallari told One PH’s “Sa Totoo Lang” on Thursday night.
The NBI Cybercrime Division is monitoring and gathering evidence against individuals possibly involved in spreading false information.
Mallari said some individuals previously charged with cybercrime offenses may be among those responsible, but declined to provide details.
He noted that pursuing offenders remains challenging due to the “dual criminality principle,” which complicates efforts to obtain user data from foreign-based platforms such as Meta.
“For example, we are investigating a violation that has no corresponding law in their country… It is difficult for us to obtain information that we can use to verify an account. That is the bigger problem in my opinion,” he said.
Manhunt
The Philippine National Police has begun tracking down individuals responsible for spreading disinformation about the President’s health.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered an investigation and case build-up to identify those behind fabricated claims.
“There is no absolute freedom in the use of social media. Those who ignore the responsibility that comes with posting and sharing content should be ready to face accountability,” Nartatez said.
He directed the Anti-Cybercrime Group to coordinate with other agencies to trace those involved.
The issue came to a head during the commemoration of Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) on Thursday, when false claims circulated online alleging that Marcos was absent from the event at Mount Samat in Bataan due to poor health.
Television networks later debunked the claims, clarifying that the reports were inaccurate.
Nartatez urged the public to verify information before sharing it online and to report false content.
“While the PNP fully respects the freedom of expression of every Filipino citizen, we believe that this is also a responsibility, which must be taken seriously,” he said.
DICT presses Meta
Amid the continued spread of disinformation, the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) called on Meta to strengthen safeguards against fake news.
DICT Secretary Henry Aguda wrote to Meta chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg, urging the company to implement stricter and more advanced measures to curb disinformation on its platforms.
Proposals include strengthening proactive detection and mitigation mechanisms, establishing expedited review and takedown protocols, designating a dedicated coordination point, clarifying escalation channels and enhancing transparency measures.
Authorities noted that fake news peddlers have not only targeted the President’s health but have also exploited the ongoing oil crisis by spreading misleading advisories that could cause public panic.
“The operations of law enforcement agencies and the military, as well as the integrity of financial institutions, did not remain untouched as well,” the CICC said. — EJ Macababbad, Emmanuel Tupas
