Disinformation Network Targeting Philippine President Exposed, Linking Domestic and Foreign Actors
Manila, Philippines – A sophisticated disinformation network targeting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Philippines’ sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea has been uncovered by a joint investigation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP). The network employed fabricated videos, manipulated narratives, and coordinated social media campaigns to undermine the president’s credibility and sow discord within the nation. A key element of this campaign involved a deepfake video purporting to show President Marcos admitting to accepting bribes. However, rigorous forensic analysis, including video spectral comparisons, debunked the video’s authenticity, revealing key anatomical discrepancies that conclusively proved the depicted individual was not the president.
The investigation revealed a pattern of disinformation releases strategically timed to coincide with significant national events, such as the enactment of the Maritime Zones Law and Baselines Law, or periods when former President Rodrigo Duterte faced negative publicity. This suggests a deliberate attempt to exploit moments of national vulnerability to maximize the impact of their false narratives. The disinformation campaign spread across multiple social media platforms, employing tactics such as manipulated timestamps, misleading captions, and fabricated content to amplify their reach and influence public perception. The investigators meticulously analyzed these elements, tracking the spread of disinformation and identifying key players involved in its dissemination.
Beyond targeting President Marcos, the network also propagated anti-US sentiments, portraying the Philippines’ efforts to assert its sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea as a component of a US-orchestrated "proxy war." This narrative aimed to undermine the Philippines’ strategic partnerships and erode public trust in international alliances. The accounts linked to this network demonstrated a high degree of responsiveness to national developments, consistently pushing narratives detrimental to the Philippines’ interests. This reactivity suggests a coordinated effort to exploit real-time events and manipulate public discourse.
Adding another layer of complexity, a separate network supporting President Marcos amplified the findings of the NBI-PNP investigation, potentially in a coordinated effort to portray the investigation as favorable to the president. While the motives behind this parallel amplification remain unclear, investigators have not yet found evidence of foreign involvement in this particular activity. However, the investigation strongly suggests foreign interference in the broader disinformation campaign targeting the president and the country’s maritime claims. The coordinated nature of the disinformation efforts, the sophistication of the techniques employed, and the strategic timing of the releases point towards a deliberate and potentially externally influenced operation.
The NBI and PNP are continuing their investigation to uncover the full extent of the disinformation network and identify all individuals and entities involved. They are working to trace the origins of the disinformation and determine the extent of foreign influence, if any. The investigation is also exploring the potential connections between the different actors involved, including the network targeting the president and the network subsequently amplifying the investigation’s findings. While the current findings represent significant progress, investigators acknowledge that they may only represent a fragment of a much larger and more complex operation.
In response to these revelations, calls for stricter content moderation policies on social media platforms are gaining momentum. Particular attention is being directed towards Facebook’s transition from third-party fact-checking to a community notes model, similar to the system employed by X (formerly Twitter). Concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of this new model in combating the spread of disinformation, particularly in the context of sophisticated and coordinated campaigns. The ongoing investigation underscores the urgent need for robust mechanisms to counter disinformation and protect the integrity of public discourse in the face of increasingly sophisticated manipulation tactics.