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A comparison of President Ferdinand Marcos' original and altered statements from a campaign rally.
News5 via Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has arrested a female vlogger for allegedly altering a statement by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to make it appear that he was in favor of drug legalization.
The vlogger reportedly edited a News5 report on Marcos' remarks during a campaign rally.
The NBI launched an investigation after the manipulated post began circulating on Facebook, according to a GMA report on Friday, March 22.
In the original statement, Marcos was quoted as saying:
“Sa laban kontra droga at krimen, hindi natin kailangang dumaan sa madugong solusyon. Walang naniniwala na ang solusyon sa krimen at droga ay pumatay ng libu-libong kapwa Pilipino. Hindi tama ‘yun.
Ang tamang paraan para tiyakin ang kapayapaan at kaayusan ay sa pamamagitan ng maayos na batas.”
However, the altered version included an additional sentence implying Marcos' support for drug legalization.
“Sa laban kontra droga at krimen, hindi natin kailangang dumaan sa madugong solusyon. Walang naniniwala na ang solusyon sa krimen at droga ay pumatay ng libu-libong kapwa Pilipino. Hindi tama ‘yun.
Ang tamang paraan para tiyakin ang kapayapaan at kaayusan ay sa pamamagitan ng maayos na batas. Gumawa tayo ng paraan na gawing 'legal' ang droga sa ating bansa.”
In a video, the vlogger admitted to earning a small amount from spreading false information and asked for the president's forgiveness.
NBI chief Jaime Santiago warned against the spread of fake news, saying that social media platforms are cooperating with authorities in cracking down on misinformation.
"We're rounding them up little by little. Facebook and TikTok are cooperating with us. This is it. So here's a warning to them: we won’t let them off the hook," NBI chief Jaime Santiago said in Filipino.
He also reminded the public that spreading false information is a criminal offense.
"Some people do this just for fun. This is not a joke. There are legal consequences and you can be charged with a crime. And once you're charged, like in this case… now they're crying, saying they won’t do it again," Santiago said in Filipino.
The suspect is charged under Article 152 of the Revised Penal Code, in connection with the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. If found guilty, she may be sentenced to six months to six years in prison and fined up to P200,000.
