Presidential Assistant for Strategic Communications Cesar Chavez issued a public apology on Thursday for spreading fake news on the supposed Palace declaration of 22 December as a special half-working day.

Chavez was referring to a circulating Proclamation No. 427 on social media where 22 December was declared a special half-working day.

However, the real Proclamation No. 427 based on the Official Gazette involves declaring nine individuals as "manlilikha ng bayan."

The fake "Proclamation No. 427" already made rounds on social media, where several media networks and government pages also reported the fake proclamation as fact.

"Apologies. I also posted content that was not first verified by me. For the confusion it has created, the blame falls on me," Office of the President Undersecretary Cesar Chavez said in a Facebook post.

"I take full responsibility for this oversight. As a former newsman who has been a stickler for fact-checking, this one evaded me," he added.

In a Viber message to reporters, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil refuted the proclamation and tagged it "fake."

In a separate Facebook post, PCO mentioned that the document lacked official government verification.

"The public is reminded to be vigilant and refer only to official government sources for accurate information," PCO said.