Fake news has started hounding the First Family since President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte had a political fallout, Malacañang claimed.
Responding to several allegations thrown at the First Family over the weekend, Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro did not mince her words in claiming that the wave of fake news started ever since the Vice President's relationship with the First Family started going downhill.
"Ever since tina-target na sila ng fake news. Hindi ito bago. Simula nang hindi naging maayos ang pagtingin ni VP Sara sa pamilya Marcos, nag-start na po ang fake news (Ever since they have been the target of fake news. This is not new. It started when Vice President Sara's relationship with the Marcos family was beginning to worsen)," Castro said in a Palace briefing on Tuesday, March 25.
Castro, however, emphasized that the Palace is not accusing anybody behind the peddling of fake news against the First Family.
"I am not accusing anybody but a lot of people are propagating misinformation against the President and the country," she said.
The Palace official also revealed that Marcos "is slightly affected" by the fake news circulating about them, prompting him to ask the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) to intensify its job to counter misinformation.
"In a way, he is slightly affected so that's why they asked the PCO to do its job to counter fake news, not only for himself but for the country," Castro bared.
'Nakakatawa'
The Palace press officer only laughed off claims, alleging the photographs posted by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos' on her Facebook page over the weekend were edited.
She dared those who are claiming the photos to be edited to prove that they are indeed manipulated.
"Nakakatawa po. Una, sino po ba ang nagsabing edited? Di po ba kung sila'y nagsasabing edited, i-prove nila na edited. Nandodoon po ba sila sa okasyon? Kasama po ba sila doon, noong mga araw na yun nandoon po ba sila sa nasabing venue (It is funny. First of all, who said it was edited? Those claiming it was edited should prove it, right? Were they there during the occasion? Were they at the venue that day)?" Castro challenged.
"Kung sino ang nagsasabi na lahat ay edited, sila po ay magpakita ng ebidensya (Whoever claimed that it was edited must show an evidence)," Castro added.
The PCO undersecretary also tagged as fake news claims that the First Lady was angry over the supposed non-appointment of Marcos as Agriculture chief during Duterte's presidency.
"Fake news. Fake news. Prove it," she said. "Patunayan niya po muna bago tayo magkomento (They must prove it first before we comment on it)," she said.