The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Saturday shrugged off blurred video of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. allegedly receiving a sachet of drugs, lamenting the spread of “false” information mislead people. 

In a viral video clip circulating on social media platforms, Marcos is seen receiving what looks like a sachet of prohibited drugs from a man who took a selfie with him during a recent public event.

The latest fake video followed the previously circulated deepfake video of Marcos allegedly using illegal drugs also went viral on social media.

In a short video clip posted by the PCO’s fact-checker “Maging Mapanuri” on Facebook, the page refuted that President Marcos received illegal drugs.

“Ginagamit ng ilang indibidwal ang ganitong uri ng content upang magpalaganap ng maling naratibo (Some individuals use this type of content to spread a false narrative),” the PCO said.

The PCO also released a clearer copy of the video showing that the man, in fact, handed Marcos a “lapel pin with the symbol of their political party” before taking a selfie and shaking hands with the President. 

Marcos then accepted the pin.

“Kapag ang isang video o larawan ay ibinahagi ng wala sa tamang konteksto, nagiging madali para sa ilan na mapaniwala ang publiko sa maling impormasyon. Sa comment section pa lang, mapapansin agad ang mga haka-haka at opinyon ng mga netizen (When a video or photo is shared out of context, it becomes easy for some to mislead the public into believing misinformation. In the comment section, netizens' speculations and opinions can be noticed immediately),” it said.

To further refute the fake information, the PCO also shared a screenshot of the man, Ferdinand Arthur Tupaz, owner of El Oro Medallic Engraver Corp., who is involved in the production of medals, lapel pins, and commemorative coins.

In his Facebook post on 1 July 2022, Tupaz said the El Oro Medallic Engraver Corp. also designed and manufactured the official commemorative medallion of Marcos during his inauguration as the 17th Philippine president. 

“Kahit malinaw ang footage, kapag tinanggal ang tamang konteksto, madali itong magamit upang lumikha ng mga maling kwento. (Ito ay) isang simpleng pagkilos na binibigyan ng ibang interpretasyon dahil sa kakulangan ng buong kwento (Even if the footage is clear, when the proper context is removed, it can easily be used to create false stories. It is a simple act that is given a different interpretation due to the lack of a full story),” the PCO said.

The PCO urged the public to fight fake news and make it a habit to do research, stressing that “no one can be fooled if no one is fooled.”

“Ang pag-blur ng katotohanan, pagputol ng mga clips, o pagbibigay ng mga impormasyon nang wala sa tamang konteksto ay nagiging mabisang paraan upang malinlang ang publiko (Blurring the truth, cutting clips, or giving information out of context are effective ways to mislead the public),” it said.