Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The false claim can be found in a screenshot from a Twitter post on June 13, 2023, with 339 views. The Twitter account no longer exists as of writing.

The following can also be seen in the screenshot: “President Marcos built a massive infrastructure program and had other achievements while succeeding presidents had little to show despite their huge budgets.”

The same screenshot has been spreading as early as 2019; Rappler published a fact-check of the false claim on April 8, 2019.  In that article, the source of the screenshot was a Facebook post by Larry Gadon, who was a senatorial candidate in the 2016, 2019, and 2022 elections. Gadon is also a lawyer who has been suspended by the Supreme Court at least twice for unbecoming behavior and languge.

The facts: The figures cited in the screenshot are incorrect and misleading. The NSO, now the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), releases annual expenditures, not summaries of government spending by presidency. It is also misleading to compare the peso values without adjusting for inflation.

Information from the PSA: The April 2019 Rappler fact-check cited information published by the PSA on government income and expenditures from 1966 to 1997. The figures are shown in millions, contradicting the erroneously-inflated figures shown in the screenshot.

The same information above can also be found in two resources published by the PSA and available online: (1) the 1994 Philippine Yearbook’s “Table 21.1 Summary of Government Income and Expenditures: 1964-1994,” which shows government expenditures from 1966 to 1993:

(2) the 1997 Philippine Statistical Yearbook’s Table 15.4, which shows government expenditures from 1994 to 1997. There are some inconsistencies in the figures prior to 1994 here compared to the figures in the Philippine Yearbook. (The Philippine Yearbook and the Philippine Statistical Yearbook are different publications.)

In both sources, the figures are expressed in millions. 

Adding up these figures would lead to the same results cited in Rappler’s previous fact-check:

A note on the numbers:

• 600,778 million pesos is 600,778 × 1,000,000 = 600,778,000,000 or P600.778 billion 
• 1,364,498 million pesos is 1,364,498 × 1,000,000 = 1,364,498,000,000, or around P1.364 trillion
• 2,237,907 million pesos is 2,237,907 × 1,000,000 = 2,237,907,000,000, or around P2.238 trillion

Inflated figures: The numbers in the screenshot incorrectly used commas and decimal places, resulting in outrageously large figures.

Adjusting decimal places, Marcos’ supposed spending of “P486,273 billion” would translate to P486 trillion.

Meanwhile, Aquino’s “P1,077,895 T (trillion)” expenditures would inflate the number to P1.077 quintillion, and Ramos’ “P2,237,907 T” spending would be 2.238 quintillion.

Here is a summary of the large numbers involved:

Other inaccuracies in the screenshot: It is inaccurate to state the years 1986-1991 and 1992-1997 for the Aquino and Ramos administrations, respectively, as was done in the screenshot. Aquino’s term ended on June 30, 1992, and Ramos on June 30, 1998. 

Therefore, in adding government expenditures, figures for 1998 would still have to be included for Ramos, but the 1997 Philippine Yearbook would be inadequate as a source as it does not have the 1998 expenditures. 

Also, the years mentioned in the screenshot do not properly correspond to the time periods covered by each administration as far as adding up budgets is concerned. For instance, 1986 covers both the Marcos and Aquino administrations, as Aquino took office in February 1986; 1992 covers both Aquino and Ramos. Additionally, almost the entirety of 1965 was under the administration of former president Diosdado Macapagal, as Marcos’s term only began on December 30, 1965.

As pointed out in Rappler’s previous fact-check: “To begin with, the NSO does not summarize government spending by presidency. What it publishes are annual expenditures.”

Comparability of pesos over time: The government expenditures in the various sources published by the PSA are nominal values, which are not adjusted for inflation. Without adjusting for inflation, it would be misleading to compare nominal values as the value of past pesos changes over time. – Percival Bueser/ Rappler.com

Percival Bueser is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. You may also report dubious claims to #FactsFirstPH tipline by messaging Rappler on Facebook or Newsbreak via Twitter direct message. You may also report through our Viber fact check chatbot. Let us battle disinformation one fact check at a time.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook post containing the claim has 142 reactions, 52 comments, and 59 shares as of writing. It also includes a link to a Facebook video bearing the same claim with 65,558 views, 4,000 reactions, and 463 comments.

In the video, a narrator says: “Kaya may Maharlika Wealth Fund…dito i-p-pool ang lahat ng mga wealth assets, including gold dollars, investments, profits at iba pang mga national treasures ng Pilipinas, pati mga excess funds ng iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno, na nagprofit na ng mahabang panahon.”

(That’s why there is a Maharlika Wealth Fund… all the wealth assets, including gold dollars, investments, profits, and other national treasures of the Philippines, as well as excess funds of various government agencies that have been making profits for a long time, will be pooled here.)

The narrator also claimed that the elder Marcos had a 50-year gold time deposit. 

The facts: Under Senate Bill No. 2020 or the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) Act, the MIF will source its start-up capital from government financial institutions and the national government. No part of the bill mentions any investment of supposed Marcos wealth or gold.

A total of P125 billion will come from the Land Bank of the Philippines (P50 billion), the Development Bank of the Philippines (P25 billion), and the national government (P50 billion).

The MIF will also not draw from the Philippines’ excess wealth, foreign reserves, or pension funds.

Purpose of the fund: The proposed sovereign wealth fund will be used by the government to invest in key sectors to help fund the country’s priority programs. Its objective, according to the bill, is to “promote socioeconomic development.”

“This will be achieved by making strategic and profitable investments in key sectors to preserve and enhance long-term value of the Fund,” read the measure.

Contrary to the Facebook post’s claim, there is no mention of the fund being created for the purpose of reinvesting wealth from the Marcos family.

On alleged gold, dollar investments: Rappler has previously published several fact checks on Marcos’ alleged last will and testament and claims about the family’s wealth and alleged gold ownership.

• FACT CHECK: Marcos didn’t have 50-year gold time deposit
• FACT CHECK: Marcos doesn’t have ‘over a million metric tons’ of gold in banks worldwide
• FALSE: Marcos family owns a ‘million tons of gold’
• FACT CHECK: Marcos didn’t use family wealth for gov’t activities
• FACT CHECK: World Bank doesn’t have Marcos gold deposits

Multiple news stories and articles, including from Rappler, PhilStar, and the Presidential Commission on Good Government all report that the Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth deposited in banks in Switzerland, Singapore, and the US have been turned over to the Philippine government.

Must Read

Marcos family stored ill-gotten wealth in Switzerland

Status of the bill: On May 31, the controversial Maharlka fund proposal was approved by both chambers of Congress amid opposition from critics, who cited corruption and investment risks, economic challenges, and the bill’s railroading.

The measure now only needs President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signature before it becomes a law. – Rappler.com

John Sitchon is an Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow.

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Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim can be found in a video posted on June 15 on a supposed news YouTube channel with 484,000 subscribers. The video has 8,200 views and 179 likes as of writing.

The facts: The video’s title and thumbnail image claims that Super Typhoon Dodong has entered the PAR, but there have been no announcements from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) about any new tropical cyclone following the most recent one, Chedeng (Guchol).

In its 4 am forecast on June 15, PAGASA made no mention of a super typhoon that is forming or has entered the PAR. Instead, the morning report stated sightings of cloud clusters near the Visayas and the northern sections of Mindanao. The southwest monsoon will also continue affecting the western section of Northern Luzon.

PAGASA’s daily weather forecast also contains a detailed account of specific areas in the Philippines that will be affected by the southwest monsoon and localized thunderstorms. Moderate to heavy rains may cause possible flash floods or landslides.

In its 11 am advisory, the weather bureau added that its regional divisions “may issue local heavy rainfall warnings, rainfall/thunderstorm advisories and other severe weather information specific to their areas of responsibility as appropriate.”

The Philippines’ most recent super typhoon was Super Typhoon Mawar (local name Betty), which entered the PAR last May 27 after battering the US island territory of Guam with torrential rain and fierce winds. It was the Philippines’ second tropical cyclone for 2023 and the first super typhoon of the year.

Other false claims: The same YouTube channel has previously made several false claims about typhoons and weather disturbances in the Philippines:

• There is no Tropical Storm Samuel approaching Luzon
• Maymay is not a Super Typhoon
• Tropical Storm Luis was not projected to hit Luzon
• Super Typhoon Nanmadol is not returning to the Philippines
• FALSE: Super Typhoon Ester arrives in the Philippines in June 2022

For the latest weather updates, visit PAGASA’s official social media accounts on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and its website. – Katarina Ruflo/Rappler.com

Katarina Ruflo is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook video containing the claim has 120,000 views, 4,400 reactions, 1,300 comments, and 110 shares as of writing. 

In the video, a narrator says: “Sa naging panayam kay National Commission of Senior Citizens o NCSC Chairperson Atty. Franklin Quijano, ipinaliwanag ng chairman na dapat nang i-avail ng mga senior citizen ang bagong benepisyo na ibinigay ng ating Pangulo.”

(In an interview with the National Commission of Senior Citizens or NCSC Chairperson Atty. Franklin Quijano, the chairman explained that senior citizens should take advantage of the new benefits given by our President.)

The facts: In Quijano’s interview on Radyo Pilipinas last June 6, the NCSC chairperson did not say that health insurance benefits for senior citizens is a new program. Since 2014, all senior citizens aged 60 and above have been automatically covered under the national health insurance program of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

Quijano mentioned the health insurance coverage in the interview when he discussed the commission’s efforts to build up a nationwide database of senior citizens in the country. Quijano said that this will help them profile senior citizens for various government programs that include the provision of health benefits. 

He also brought up the recent P42.9-billion budget released to PhilHealth to cover the one-year health insurance premiums of senior citizens. 

Free since 2014: The national government has been covering the PhilHealth contribution of senior citizens since the enactment of Republic Act 10645 in 2014. The said law amended and expanded the Senior Citizens Act of 2010, which previously provided free health insurance coverage only to indigent senior citizens. – Ailla Dela Cruz/Rappler.com

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Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook post, which has over 1,600 reactions and 2,000 shares, rehashes a similar claim previously fact checked by Rappler on House Bill 6522, the lower chamber’s version of the measure.

The Facebook post also includes a link to a Change.org petition against the bill for people to add their signatures. The petition has 11,148 signatures as of writing.

The facts: Senate Bill 1869 seeks to establish a Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) in the Philippines and empowers health officials to enforce public health measures, although provisions in the proposed law specify conditions for exercising these powers.

Health undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said that the bill will fill the gaps in health crisis response and will prepare the country for future pandemics or threats to public health. “Nowhere can you find within this CDC draft bill any provision that will state we’re going to have a medical martial law,” Vergeire said.

Conditions: The Facebook post claims that Senate Bill 1869 threatens privacy and security by allowing the government to track people’s location. Article V, Sec. 13(f) states that in case of public health emergencies, the National Telecommunications Commission shall provide the location of patients suspected of contracting a disease upon request of the CDC, “provided that the CDC ensures confidentiality of such information.”

The post also says that the proposed law would empower authorities to mandate Filipinos to go for treatment or quarantine. Under Article V, Sec. 13 (g)(5), the health secretary may “promote treatment, vaccination, or immunization against a contagious disease, [compel] the isolation or quarantine of persons who are unable or unwilling, for reasons of health, religion, or conscience, to undergo immunization or treatment,” provided that the guidelines for exercising this power “shall be formulated with the Department of Justice.”

Functions of the CDC: The CDC would be the “technical authority on forecasting, analysis, strategy, and standards development for the prevention and control of all diseases of public health importance and health security events, whether domestic or international in origin.” 

Article III, Section 6 of the measure lists the functions of the proposed CDC:

• Develop strategies, standards, and policies for disease prevention and control
• Implement disease surveillance and field epidemiology activities
• Perform data collection and analytics
• Establish and strengthen public health laboratories
• Recommend actions for public health threats to appropriate national government bodies
• Lead public health and risk communications
• Conduct and manage health research and evidence synthesis
• Build local capacity for surveillance and health research
• Promote scientific integrity by ensuring that all its products are technically accurate, scientifically and ethically sound, and useful to the government and the intended population through the institutionalization of appropriate mechanisms and bodies

Status of the measure: Senate Bill 1869 is currently pending on second reading. Last March, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. certified the bill as urgent. – Rappler.com

Mari-An Santos is an Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow.

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Rating: FALSE 

Why we fact-checked this: The claim is implied in a YouTube video with a thumbnail image that bears the text “Binawi ng gobyerno. Ito ang ayaw ipalabas ng bayarang media.” (Recovered by the government. This is what the paid media agencies don’t want to show). The thumbnail shows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. along with the logos of Meralco, Maynilad, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Land Transportation Office, and the Social Security System.

The title of the video also makes reference to a “sudden order” approved by the President. As of writing, the video has 30,000 views and 89 comments.

What the video shows: The video does not provide any evidence to support its claim. There are also no official announcements regarding any supposed government takeover of the two companies.

Instead, the video features the National ICT Month kickoff ceremony and launch of the e-Gov PH Super App held in Malacañang last June 2. In his speech, Marcos said that the government needs to adopt new technologies to compete on the global stage and to digitize government processes to improve service delivery. The e-government and e-governance acts are among the President’s 19 priority bills in his State of the Nation Address.

Privately owned: According to its website, Maynilad is “managed by Maynilad Water Holdings Company, Inc. – a joint venture between Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), DMCI Holdings, Inc. (DMCI) and Marubeni Corporation.” 

Meanwhile, Meralco is privately owned, with Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., JG Summit Holdings, Inc., and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. as its major shareholders. 

There are no recent reports regarding any proposals or plans to take ownership of either company. In 2019, former president Rodrigo Duterte threatened to take control of Maynilad over water shortages. — Jezreel Ines/ Rappler

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Rating: MISSING CONTEXT

Why we fact-checked this: The video posted on Facebook features a rehashed claim previously mentioned in a graphic that circulated on social media back in 2020.

The video, which has 57,000 reactions, 5,600 shares, 2,300 comments, and 1.1 million views as of writing, shows clips of alleged questionable projects built during the administration of former president Benigno Aquino III.

The facts: While the Buenavista Slab Bridge was built even without a river beneath it, the DPWH justified its construction, saying that the area is prone to liquefaction. This refers to a phenomenon in which soil loses its strength and stiffness, making solid soil behave like a viscous liquid – deforming easily, and causing structures above it to be damaged due to loss of support. 

The bridge, completed in 2015, was built as a solution to the recurring problem of repairing a particular section of Bato-Bontoc road that was prone to collapsing. The DPWH also said that constructing the bridge saved millions of pesos worth of road repairs.

Spliced video: The Facebook video shows a spliced version of a 2019 report from GMA’s news show 24 Oras. The clip omitted the portion where the DPWH explained the purpose of the bridge.

The full video explains that the road on which the bridge was built had already collapsed thrice due to the soft soil underneath. The report also featured a resident who attested to the recurring problem in that part of the road.

Not only for rivers: In a 2016 report, then-DPWH Southern Leyte district engineer Ma. Margarita Junia told Rappler that bridges are not just for bodies of water. She said that an overpass is also a bridge even with no river beneath it. She also cited Agas-agas bridge in Sogod, Southern Leyte, which connects roads on two mountains. – Ailla Dela Cruz/Rappler.com

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Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook video containing the claim has 2,900 reactions, 1,600 comments, and 173,000 views as of writing.

No human trial yet: Neuralink said in a tweet that recruitment for the trial has not yet opened, telling its Twitter followers that more details would be available soon. In the same tweet, the company announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had already approved starting human clinical trials for its brain implant device. 

We are excited to share that we have received the FDA’s approval to launch our first-in-human clinical study!

This is the result of incredible work by the Neuralink team in close collaboration with the FDA and represents an important first step that will one day allow our…

— Neuralink (@neuralink) May 25, 2023

The US FDA said in a statement that it had cleared Neuralink to “use its brain implant and surgical robot for trials on patients” but gave no further details.

Safety concerns: Before starting human trials, the US FDA pointed out several key safety concerns that Neuralink needs to address: 

• issues involving the lithium battery of the device
• possibility of the implant’s wires migrating within the brain
• challenge of safely extracting the device without damaging brain tissue

Musk’s vision: Musk envisions the brain implants curing a range of conditions, including obesity, autism, depression, and schizophrenia. The device is also planned to enable Web browsing and telepathy.

Must Read

Elon Musk’s Neuralink gets FDA approval for study of brain implants in humans

The tech billionaire projected Neuralink starting human trials on four occasions already since 2019. However, the company sought FDA approval only in early 2022, and the agency rejected the application, Reuters reported in March.

Rappler has previously fact-checked claims concerning Elon Musk and his companies: 

• FACT CHECK: SIM card registration does not grant mind control over users 
• HINDI TOTOO: Pabibilisin ni Marcos ang internet sa PH sa pamamagitan ng Starlink ni Elon Musk

– Lorenz Pasion/Rappler.com

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Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook video, posted on June 6, has gained 6,500 views, 727 reactions, and 37 shares from an account with 88,000 followers, as of writing.

The video titled, “May SABOTAGE sa power outage ng NAIA!” has been reshared following the power outage in the NAIA Terminal 3 on June 9.

The bottom line: Even before the New Year incident, the NAIA Terminal 3 had been experiencing power outages back in 2016 and, more recently, in September 2022. 

A Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) report stated that the “inadequate maintenance program” on the terminal stations has been the leading cause of the power outages. Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista admitted that the air traffic management system in the airport was already outdated in a press briefing on January 1.

NAIA 3 records on the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) state that the terminal has a design capacity for 13 million passengers. MIAA has recorded 7.3 million passengers on Terminal 3 in the first quarter of 2023, 188% larger compared to the same period in 2022. More areas are needed to be powered to accommodate all the passengers.

Talks of sabotage: Senate investigation on the New Year blackout has ruled out cyberattacks and sabotage as causes, according to the state-owned Philippine News Agency (PNA).

In the PhilStar.com article that the video cited to support the claim, Bautista only said that possibility of foul play is yet to be dismissed as probable cause for the Labor Day outage, not as a prominent lead. The article also said that power distributor Meralco already pointed out “main circuit breaker problem” as the cause of the outage.

MIAA officer-in-charge Bryan Co has also denied allegations that power interruptions were related to talks of NAIA’s possible privatization.

Rappler has published several fact-checks on NAIA under the Marcos administration:

• FACT CHECK:  Marcos did not order renaming of NAIA
• FACT CHECK: Marcos has no plans of shutting down NAIA
• HINDI TOTOO: Proyekto ni Ferdinand Marcos ang NAIA

– Kyle Marcelino/Rappler.com

Kyle Marcelino is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

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Rating: FALSE 

Why we fact-checked this: The false claim on YouTube was posted by Showbiz Fanaticz with the title: “KAKAPASOK LANG Diosko! UMUSOK sa GALlT si VPSARA SlNUBOAN ng EBlDENSYA si ROMUALDEZ try-d0r Kay PBBM” (Just in, an enraged VP Sara Duterte provided evidence against Romualdez, traitor to BBM). The video has 102,000 views and 394 comments as of writing.

No statement from VP: The video does not provide evidence to support the claim. No statements were released on Duterte’s official Facebook and Twitter accounts, nor on the Office of the Vice President website that she had asked Romualdez to resign.

In a recent statement, the Vice President only clarified that Senator Imee Marcos was the one who convinced her to run for vice president, debunking the claim made by Cavite 4th District Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr. that it was Romualdez who influenced her decision.

Moreover, the video provided only images of Duterte’s statement and a cropped image of a comment from an online user. None of the remaining parts of the video had any relation to the claim.

The conflict between Duterte and Romualdez originated from Duterte’s departure from the party, Lakas-CMD, following the demotion to Deputy Speaker of Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. 

Prior to her resignation, Duterte held the position of chairperson of Lakas-CMD. Romualdez is party president, while Arroyo is the current chairperson emeritus of Lakas. – Jezreel Ines/Rappler

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