Separating fact from fiction: The truth behind viral Sandro Marcos video
MANILA, Philippines – In today’s digital age, the spread of fake news has become a pervasive issue. Over the weekend, Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos became its latest target after a video of him at a birthday party last September surfaced and went viral on social media.
The post, published by X (formerly Twitter) user @bongbongmarcosx, claimed that the Presidential son turned Bahay Pangarap into a nightclub.
Son of the President, converts the official residence 🇵🇭 of his father into a night club 🍻
What’s your comment? #BahayPangarap pic.twitter.com/dPOQbyCEqO
— FIRST GENTLEMAN (@bongbongmarcosx) October 20, 2023
The video in question shows the birthday party of a fellow congressman held at a private residence in an exclusive village in Quezon City, the geo-tag of the post revealed.
@trixie_torikushii May isang bata nana man na enjoy na enjoy kay Andrew E… 🤭🤭🤗🤗 #sandromarcos #sandromarcos7 #congressmansandromarcos #ferdinandalexandermarcos #AndrewE #fyp #fypシ #tiktok #tiktokph #copylink #shadowbanned #unshadowbannedme ♬ original sound – Trixie Torikushii
Upon checking, Bahay Pangarap is 10.2 kilometers away from the actual location of the party that was held last September 13th.
Article continues after this advertisement“Misinformation is a serious issue that we must collectively work to combat. I am disheartened to see my name and position used in spreading false narratives,” Rep. Marcos said after being sought for comment.
“I urge the public to be critical of the information they come across online and to verify facts before sharing posts,” Rep. Sam Versoza told INQUIRER.net.
“Spreading fake news only harms our society and creates unnecessary confusion,” he added.
“This post is false and has spread misinformation to thousands of people who may have believed what they read and saw,” said Pinuno party-list Rep. Howard Guintu in a statement.
“Misinformation like this post reminds us that we must be mindful of the content that we read or see, especially when the source of the information is a stranger, (or) a random person on the Internet,” he added.
As this post has circulated widely, it has caused concern and prompted the need for Inquirer.net to conduct an immediate fact-check.
Fake news has been an ongoing and growing problem and has been especially weaponized against celebrities and politicians.
Inquirer.net is committed to providing accurate information and debunking falsehoods to maintain public trust.
And in this era of rapid information dissemination, it is paramount that we, as responsible netizens, remain vigilant and critical of the content we consume and share online.
