The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is reviewing a sworn statement from a vlogger accused of circulating fabricated and unauthorized medical records belonging to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., officials said Wednesday.
NBI director Angelito Magno confirmed that vlogger Jason Argota appeared before the agency in compliance with a subpoena. Argota was summoned by the NBI Cybercrime Division after he allegedly shared a counterfeit medical certificate regarding the President’s health.
“He honored the subpoena issued to him. He gave a statement, and that is still under investigation,” Magno said in a statement.
NBI spokesperson Palmer Mallari said Argota was originally scheduled to appear on 13 February but requested a postponement via email.
The investigation follows a wave of social media posts earlier this year featuring a medical certificate that Malacañang denounced as “fabricated and malicious.”
In January, St. Luke’s Medical Center denied the authenticity of purported CT scan results attributed to Marcos, who had previously been diagnosed with diverticulitis.
The NBI has already filed cyberlibel complaints against former broadcaster Jay Sonza and social media personality Jeffrey Celiz in a related matter as it alleged that screenshots and YouTube videos showed the pair used unverified medical reports to question the President’s fitness to govern.
The agency recommended that the Department of Justice file charges of cyberlibel and violations of Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, which penalizes the unlawful publication of false news.
Magno clarified that while the case against Sonza and Celiz is already before the prosecutor’s office, the investigation into Argota is being handled separately.
He also reminded the public to exercise caution when sharing information online, warning that spreading unverified claims may violate the Cybercrime Prevention Act.