FactRakers

11/06/2024

American, British and French warships did not arrive at the Philippine Sea last May 31, contrary to a TikTok video’s claim.

Ships from different countries that participated in an international maritime exercise in Hawaii and Southern California in 2022 have been passed off as American, British and French warships that arrived in the Philippine Sea.The Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise is biennally conducted by the U.S...

11/06/2024

Cardiologist and media personality Willie Ong isn’t an endorser of a probiotic brand, contrary to what an altered video claims .

A page recently posted a video falsely claiming that cardiologist Willie Ong has endorsed its probiotic supplements.The video containing the spurious claim posted on May 24 by Up5 Probiotics - Ultimate Gut Health lifted parts of a YouTube video of Ong talking about probiotics and ran a fals...

11/06/2024

The United States did not deploy hundreds of containers of military equipment to the Philippines, which is embroiled in territorial disputes, contrary to a YouTube thumbnail falsely reporting a visit from the US to deliver the supplies.

The United States did not deploy hundreds of containers of missiles and military vehicles to the Philippines, which is embroiled in territorial disputes, contrary to a YouTube thumbnail falsely reporting a visit from the US to deliver the supplies.A video posted on June 3 by MILITARY INFORMATION cla...

07/06/2024

A TikTok user edited a public hearing video to make it appear that the Senate had asked Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo to sing Lupang Hinirang and Bahay Kubo .

Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo was not asked to sing the national anthem and the folk song Bahay Kubo during a Senate hearing even as a viral TikTok video suggested otherwise. The video posted on June 2 by user shows a manipulated video of Guo at a public hearing with the accompanying tex...

07/06/2024

A YouTube video misrepresents a Bamban, Tarlac resident as Bamban Mayor Alice Guo’s mother, falsely claiming she has come forward to prove her daughter's Philippine citizenship.

A YouTube video has misrepresented an interview of a Bamban, Tarlac resident as Bamban Mayor Alice Guo’s mother, falsely claiming that she has come forward to prove her daughter’s Philippine citizenship. Amid the Senate’s ongoing investigation on Guo’s nationality, PH SHOWBIZ UPDATE uploaded...

07/06/2024

The Philippines did not receive and operate Japan’s T-4 fighter jet as a manipulated YouTube video falsely claims

The Philippine Air Force did not receive and operate any T-4 fighter jets from Japan, contrary to a manipulated YouTube video claiming otherwise. The baseless post uploaded on June 3 by Military Podcast featured manipulated clips of what appeared to be Philippine pilots testing fighter jets with the...

06/06/2024

Actress Andi Eigenmann did not get fiance Philmar Alipayo arrested, contrary to a YouTube video claiming otherwise.

Actress and content creator Andi Eigenmann did not get her fiancé Philmar Alipayo arrested, contrary to a YouTube video thumbnail that misrepresented him as the man in a viral Facebook post being apprehended by police. In a video uploaded on May 31 by channel SHOWBIZ BALITA, the couple was placed b...

30/05/2024

Imee Marcos has not resigned from the Senate, contrary to the claim of a YouTube channel.

Presidential sister Sen. Imee Marcos is still part of the 24-member Senate, contrary to a YouTube thumbnail falsely claiming she has resigned.A video posted on May 28 by BANAT KAPANIG TV claimed that Marcos’ resignation was making waves:OMG: Grabe KINARMA na! IMEE GUMAWA ng INGAY NAG-RESÍGN na/ P...

28/05/2024

Israeli defense firm weapons testing was misreported as a missile launch from the Philippines.

Israeli defense technology firm RAFAEL announced on Jan. 10 it had successfully completed the testing of the newest All in One configuration for its SPYDER (Surface-to-Air Python and Derby) air defense missile system. A post published on May 17 by page Emerging Philippines, however, falsely...

25/05/2024

100 PH-led boats peacefully deliver supplies to Filipino fishermen near Panatag Shoal but a manipulated YouTube thumbnail falsely depicted them as attacking Chinese ships.

A 100-boat Filipino civilian convoy sailed on May 15 to peacefully assert sovereignty over Panatag Shoal located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, contrary to a YouTube video thumbnail falsely showing Philippine and American vessels firing at Chinese ships in the South China Sea.The...

25/05/2024

A Facebook user manipulates the photo of Liza Marcos and Sheynnis Palacios to falsely label Marcos as “Miss Smuggler”

A photo featuring First Lady Liza Marcos and Miss Universe 2023 Sheynnis Palacios has been manipulated to label Marcos as “Miss Smuggler.”The altered image was posted on the PROTECT VICE PRESIDENT SARA DUTERTE Facebook group on May 7 by a user named Shifukato Kashichikikuteka and captioned “Ba...

23/05/2024

A YouTube video used a doctored image of the French frigate Véndemiaire and clips of its port call in Manila in 2022 to falsely claim that France had donated the warship to the Philippine Navy.

The French government did not donate its strongest warships to the Philippines, especially the light-patrol frigate Véndemiaire (F734), contrary to the claim of a YouTube video. The thumbnail of a video posted by TECH-89M on May 18 featured a doctored photo showing two Véndemiaire ships flying not...

22/05/2024

YouTube channel alters image; PH and US Navies did not drive Chinese ships out of the Philippines.

The Philippine and United States navies have not expelled Chinese ships from the Philippines, contrary to what the thumbnail of a YouTube video claims.The May 16 post of the PHILIPPINE NEWS CHANNEL featured a doctored photo of U.S. and Philippine vessels seemingly driving away Chinese fleets with th...

22/05/2024

Manila’s ranking as the city with the “highest” crime index in Southeast Asia on Numbeo, a crowdsourced online database about countries and cities worldwide, is based solely on user survey responses.

Manila’s ranking as the city with the “highest” crime index in Southeast Asia on Numbeo, a crowdsourced online database about countries and cities worldwide, is based solely on survey responses about how safe their users feel.A table ranking the crime index ranking per city was uploaded by We ...

14/05/2024

UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral ruling form the legal basis for the grounding of BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal amid China’s claim that it is illegal.

Ayungin Shoal in the Spratlys Islands falls within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which provides the legal basis for the presence of the warship BRP Sierra Madre in the area that is also being claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam.In 2016, the Permanent Arbitration Court at the Hague...

13/05/2024

PhilHealth contribution increased to 5% in 2024, contrary to presidential adviser Larry Gadon’s erroneous claim that it didn’t.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) raised its members’ contribution to 5% in 2024, contrary to a claim made by Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Secretary Larry Gadon that there was no increase.In an interview with Angelique Lazo on May 6, which aired live on People’s ...

13/05/2024

The PH-US Mutual Defense Treaty may be activated in case armed attacks occur on the West Philippine Sea, but former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque misleadingly quoted a 1975 telegram of Henry Kissinger to claim otherwise.

The Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the Philippines and the United States extends to the escalating Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea, contrary to the claim of lawyer Harry Roque who referenced a 1975 telegram from former U.S. National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger saying the bila...

12/05/2024

Majority of Southeast Asian countries impose term limits on their appointed and elected government officials, contrary to Sen. Robin Padilla’s recent claim that the Philippines is the only country in the region that still does.

Many Southeast Asian countries impose term limits on appointed and elected government officials, contrary to Sen. Robin Padilla's claim that only the Philippines does.

07/05/2024

NAIA has been named the worst airport during the Aquino, Duterte and Marcos administrations.

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport has been named the world’s worst airport during the terms of Rodrigo Duterte, Benigno Aquino III and Ferdinand Marcos Jr.. There were years when it was not on any list–not only during Duterte’s term but also Aquino’s and Marcos’.

16/01/2024

No scientific research supports the claim of a viral TikTok video that soursop leaves, cocolmeca bark and batana oil are effective in curing cancer and reversing hair loss.

A TikTok image slideshow has exaggerated the health benefits of guyabano leaves and other medicinal plants, sharing misleading therapeutic claims that they quickly “heal” cancer and reverse hair loss. The Dec. 24 post by TikTok user spoildbloom also used what is probably an AI-generated image of...

14/01/2024

A 2018 satellite image has been altered to make it appear as if it were taken during the recent Panay Island blackout.

A satellite image of the Philippines was not taken during the Panay Island blackout in early January, contrary to a Facebook post’s claim. The photo was published on Jan. 3 by Facebook user Tsismoso with the caption: Only Panay Island can relate A reverse image search revealed that the satellite i...

11/01/2024

A quote supposedly from former vice president and 2022 presidential aspirant Leni Robredo denying she had conceded the 2022 election and questioning its regularity is fabricated.

A quote supposedly from former vice president and 2022 presidential aspirant Leni Robredo denying she had conceded the 2022 election and questioning its regularity is fabricated. The quote card published on Dec. 24 by Facebook accounts Roman Zarate and Quo vadis, Filipinas?, among others, claims Rob...

10/01/2024

A newly created page has been falsely advertising itself as the official fanpage of couple doctors Willie and Liza Ong to sell a non-FDA-approved barley powder drink and dried fruit products.

A newly created page has been passing itself off as the official fanpage of cardiologist Willie Ong and his physician wife Liza and sells an unregistered barley powder drink and dried fruit products.

10/01/2024

A Philippine-based page has misused images of disaster events in 2011 and 2016 to depict the aftermath of the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that jolted western Japan last Jan. 1.

09/01/2024

New year, new hoax: Actress and host Kris Aquino isn’t dead

Actress and host Kris Aquino is alive and was even seen commenting on fellow actress Kim Chiu’s social media post on the day she allegedly died. Aquino’s supposed death was announced by the page Philippines Scholar 2023 in a Jan. 3 post that was captioned: JUST IN. MS. KRIS AQUINO DIED ...

08/01/2024

A misleading TikTok video credits the Philippines' purchase of anti-ship missiles from India to the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instead of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

05/01/2024

Doctors Willie and Liza Ong are not endorsing an apple cider vinegar gummy product, but a page made it seem as if they are by altering their photos.

Doctors Willie and Liza Ong have again been misrepresented as endorsers of unregistered apple cider vinegar gummies, their old photos altered to make it seem as if they were promoting the product.

05/01/2024

A viral TikTok video spliced footage from a 2011 tsunami and 2021 landslide to falsely depict the aftermath of the Jan. 1, 2024 Ishikawa earthquake in Japan.

A misleading TikTok video has passed off footage from two previous disaster events as the aftermath of the 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in western Japan on Jan. 1 and triggered tsunami waves in the region.

04/01/2024

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in 2020 only issued P500 peso coins bearing an eagle design as part of its set of commemorative currency, contrary to a Facebook post claiming the coin was "new."

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in 2020 issued P500 coins with an eagle design as part of its set of commemorative currency. It did not release any such coins recently for circulation.

04/01/2024

Medical content creator Alvin Francisco, popularly known in social media as “Doc Alvin,” is not an endorser of an unregistered collagen brand, contrary to Facebook posts using altered photos of him to advertise the product.

Physician and medical content creator Alvin Francisco, popularly known as “Doc Alvin” on social media, does not endorse an unregistered brand of collagen gummies that allegedly help “rejuvenate skin, fade dark spots and eliminate causes of acne.” “Glutathione Collagen Gummies,” the brand...