President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (left), Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (Facebook, PPAB)

Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong slammed the spread of fake news falsely claiming that the Supreme Court (SC) received a petition for President Marcos’ resignation.

Adiong, in a statement Tuesday afternoon, March 18, called the move "a reckless and desperate attempt to deceive the public and destabilize the government"

“This is a blatant act of deception, meant to sow confusion and disrupt our nation. We will not allow malicious actors to use the Supreme Court as a tool for political sabotage. The law must come down hard on those spreading these lies,” he said.

The SC on Monday denied receiving any such petition and disavowed a circulating document titled “Supreme Court Receives Petition on 16 Million Signatures Calling for President Marcos’ Resignation.” 

Adiong, an assistant majority leader in the House of Representatives, lauded the SC for swiftly debunking the fabricated document. He also vowed full support for efforts to hold the perpetrators accountable.

The High Court also rejected claims that it had scheduled an en banc session on the matter, and branded the information as entirely false.

The tribunal traced the document’s source to Facebook accounts named “Choose Libungan” and “Bernard Flores Maicon".

It vowed to impose sanctions on those responsible for spreading disinformation, while urging the public to rely only on official statements.

Adiong warned of the broader consequences of disinformation, as he emphasized the need for stronger penalties against individuals and groups weaponizing social media to spread falsehoods.

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The Mindanaoan also urged Filipinos to exercise caution in consuming and sharing information online, as he called on authorities to intensify efforts against coordinated disinformation campaigns.

“Disinformation is a serious threat to national stability. The public must be vigilant and verify sources before believing or spreading unverified claims. The truth must always prevail over deception,” Adiong pointed out.

He added that the House of Representatives, under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez, remains committed to supporting legislative measures that would strengthen laws against fake news and protect the integrity of government institutions.