Acting Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cesar Chavez announced that experts in digital media and artificial intelligence (AI) have debunked the authenticity of a viral video from July that falsely depicted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. using illegal drugs.
The Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU), part of the India-based Misinformation Combat Alliance, found the video that circulated a day before the President’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) had been heavily manipulated.
Independent fact-checking organization Vera Files verified the results, confirming that the video was a deepfake designed to discredit the President.
Chavez said the findings cleared Mr. Marcos of the malicious accusations and warned the public to remain cautious of fake content online.
Previously, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) dismissed the video’s authenticity shortly after it surfaced. Video spectral analysis conducted by both agencies showed that key facial features, such as the tragal notch and antitragus, did not match the President’s.
