Malacañan Palace on Tuesday said the Marcos family has long been a target of fake news, especially since the relationship between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte soured.

“Ever since, they have been targeted by fake news. This is not new. Ever since VP Sara's attitude towards the Marcos family has not been good, the fake news has started,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a briefing.

The relationship between the two leaders began to deteriorate in 2024 after Duterte resigned from the Cabinet as Education Secretary. She later expressed regret over joining Marcos during the 2022 national elections, stating they were not friends but merely running mates.

Marcos, in response, said he might have been deceived.

Tensions further escalated when Duterte allegedly “threatened” to assassinate the First Couple and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if anything were to happen to her.

Recently, the First Couple have become the subject of numerous fake news claims.

Earlier this month, First Lady Liza Marcos was falsely reported to have been detained by law enforcement in Los Angeles, California. Malacañang dismissed this as “fake news,” noting that the First Lady had returned after her U.S. visit.

'Faked' photos

Last Saturday, Mrs. Marcos was criticized for allegedly posting a “photoshopped” photo on social media. The First Lady had met with the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) for a regular meeting at Pangarap Clubhouse in Malacañang Park on Friday.

Netizens were quick to point out inconsistencies in the image — such as the lighting, resolution, the apparent disappearance of her seat, the figure of her left ear, and the height difference between Mrs. Marcos and her guests, despite her sitting in a chair.

Malacañang dismissed the claims, again branding them as fake news, and challenged critics to provide proof that the photo was edited.

On Sunday, the First Lady posted another photo — this time with her family. Netizens alleged that President Marcos Jr. was “inserted” into the image and claimed the photo was edited.

Castro responded to the issue on Tuesday, calling the accusations “laughable.”

“It's funny. First, who said it was edited? Shouldn't the ones saying it was edited prove it was edited? Were they present on the occasion? Were they there at the said venue on those days? Whoever says everything was edited, they should show the evidence,” she said.

Although the spread of fake news intensified after the fallout between Marcos and Duterte, Malacañang clarified that it is not directly accusing anyone of misinformation.

“I am not accusing anybody but a lot of people are propagating misinformation against the President and the country,” Castro said.

Castro also revealed that President Marcos sometimes checks social media to stay updated on current events, particularly political matters.

She said the President is “slightly affected” by what he sees online, prompting him to instruct the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) to actively counter fake news.

“In a way, he is slightly affected. That’s why he asked the PCO to do its job to counter fake news — not only for himself but for the country,” Castro said.