Manila: It no longer came as a surprise that former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque is behind the spread of the fake ‘polvoron’ video showing a man resembling President Ferdinand R. Marcos sniffing illegal drugs, Malaca±ang said Thursday. This, after vlogger Vicente Bencalo ‘Pebbles” Cunanan accused Roque of being the brains behind the altered video.
According to Philippines News Agency, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro addressed the issue in a press briefing. Castro stated, “Hindi na ito bago at buti na lamang may isang tao na dati nilang kaalyado na sinabi na si Atty. Harry Roque ang nagpakalat.” She further emphasized that the public is already aware of who was truly behind the fake video.
Castro recalled that Roque even ordered his allies to disseminate the video to lend it more credibility, falsely implicating Marcos. She underscored that the video had been proven manipulated, and Marcos is a victim of fake news.
When questioned about potential legal action following Cunanan’s allegations, Castro mentioned that President Marcos would defer to law enforcement agencies such as the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for further actions. “Nakausap po natin ang Pangulo at sinabi po niya na hayaan na lang po natin ang ating mga law enforcement agencies,” Castro stated, indicating that any liable party should face charges if found accountable by the concerned agencies.
The ‘polvoron video’ initially surfaced in July 2024, purportedly depicting a man resembling Marcos engaging in illegal activities just a day before his third State of the Nation Address. Local fact-checker Vera Files, in collaboration with the Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU) from the India-based Misinformation Combat Alliance, analyzed the video and confirmed signs of manipulation, including face swaps and overlapping of deepfake elements.
The DAU’s analysis, particularly of the video uploaded by vlogger Maharlika, identified multiple points of manipulation. These findings further substantiated claims that the video was tampered with to mislead the public.
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