Sudden, Coordinated Surge In Disinformation About Marcos’ Health Meant To Destabilize Gov’t – Palace, NBI

The “coordinated” efforts to spread “outright lies” about President Marcos’ health was meant to destabilize the government, Malacañang said on Thursday, April 9, as it vowed to collect evidence and pursue charges against peddlers of false information.

Claims that Marcos is suffering from stage four colon cancer or is in a state of coma have been proliferating in social media despite repeated clarifications by officials that the President is in good condition.

Although there have been video clips showing Marcos attending recent events, some social media users claimed they are either manipulated or old footage, even accusing the mainstream media of covering up the true state of his health.

Presidential Communications Secretary Dave Gomez described the surge in disinformation targeting Marcos’ health as “sudden” and “coordinated.” He noted that even respected traditional media outlets have fallen victim to the “vicious attack” of online trolls.

“The timing is suspect. Why the sudden surge at this time? Why resort to outright lies? Why the desperation? Regardless, the motive is clear. Distract and destabilize our government,” Gomez said in a statement.

“The Presidential Communications Office is tracking and documenting every post, every comment, and every lie. Each one is a piece of evidence we can use in court. We will identify the perpetrators, trace their networks, and file the proper charges in court once the evidence is complete hopefully by next week,” he added.

Gomez said Marcos would not be distracted by the “noise” as the government deals with the fallout from the Middle East conflict, which prompted the administration to declare a state of energy emergency.

“The President remains laser-focused on one mission: solving our energy emergency and delivering real, tangible help to every Filipino family, improving their lives and strengthening our economy,” he said.

Administration critics have been flooding social media with speculations about Marcos’ health condition after he was diagnosed with diverticulitis, an inflammation in the large intestine, in January. Marcos had clarified that his illness was not life-threatening.

In a video interview released by PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro last Wednesday, April 8, Marcos sought to dispel rumors that he is seriously ill, saying he has returned to his regular routine since his diverticulitis episode.

“I want to thank those who are concerned about me. Do not take (the rumors) seriously. You know, social media tends to be humorous,” the President said.

“We do not have a problem... Actually I've been back to my regular routine for the last two or three months... I'm doing my usual (activities), watching my health, making sure that I'm always ready to do the work.”

In an interview with “Sa Totoo Lang” on One PH on Thursday, National Bureau of Investigation spokesman and lawyer Palmer Mallari said the spread of fake news on Marcos’ health could indeed be part of a destabilization plot against Marcos.