PCO flags Facebook accounts spreading fake news on Marcos health
MANILA, Philippines – The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate and determine the appropriate legal action against Facebook accounts that spread “malicious” and “fabricated” information about the health of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
PCO specifically identified three accounts: Iloy Bugris: The Queen of Revelations, Rigondola Ping, and Crage Anderpal.
The Iloy Bugris page purportedly conducted live broadcasts falsely claiming that the President is “critically ill” and soliciting financial contributions from viewers via GCash and BPI accounts, while Rigondola Ping posted manipulated images of the President in “physical distress.”
READ: PCO files complaints vs. Facebook users spreading energy misinformation
On the other hand, Crage Anderpal was cited for posting fabricated news graphics claiming official confirmation of the President’s serious medical condition.
Director Robertzon Ramirez, head of the PCO’s Anti-Fake News Desk, said that while the individuals identify as “vloggers,” their content appears designed to promote a specific cause by disseminating false information about the President’s health.
Meanwhile, DOJ spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez said the endorsement made by the PCO will be referred to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to determine whether a criminal case should be filed.
“The DOJ will endorse it to the proper investigative agency, and that is the NBI. The NBI will check if the facts and the evidence submitted in this report warrant the filing of criminal charges,” Martinez told reporters.
The crackdown is underpinned by a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on April 13, 2026, between the DOJ, PCO, and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). This partnership aims to streamline the prosecution of digital disinformation, particularly under Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
This is the second endorsement made by the PCO to the DOJ. On April 7, the PCO also asked the DOJ to investigate the spread of fake news regarding the national energy emergency.
The PCO said, “the deliberate fabrication and dissemination of false information, particularly during a declared State of National Energy Emergency under Executive Order No. 110, is a crime under Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, with penalties elevated when committed online under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.” /jpv
