NBI: Forensics show man in viral drug video not Marcos

Forensic analysis showed that the man using drugs in the viral video circulating on social media is not President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police said Tuesday.

At a news conference, the NBI presented photos of Marcos' right ear and that of the man in the viral video. According to Dr. Joseph Reuel Cruz of the NBI Medico-Legal division, the ears in the pictures were not one and the same. 

“From the video spectral analysis, we can see that the intertragal notch here are embossed,” Dr. Joseph Reuel Cruz of the NBI Medico-Legal Division said, pointing to the original photo. “Compared here which is not that embossed.”

Cruz said that the notch of the president's ear was larger than that of the person in the video. He also said that Marcos’ antitragus sphere was more embossed. 

“So it means that this picture is definitely not the same,” Cruz said.

Further, Cruz said that an individual’s ear is unique to themselves.

“So this features of the pinna of the ear is what we observe no, for photograph, taken photograph images of a person… so we can see that this is unique to the president and this is unique to this man over this side,” Cruz said.

NBI Cybercrime Division Chief Atty. Jeremy Lotoc said that the photos were analyzed with .a video spectral comparator (VSC), an imaging process for forensic examination and authentication.

The NBI’s findings were echoed by the PNP. 

PNP-Anti-Cybercrime Group director Brigadier General Ronnie Cariaga said there were significant discrepancies in the features of the man in the video, such as the shape of the eyes, the nose, and the sideburns.

“Definirely, hindi ito ang president (that is not the president),” Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said.

NBI Director Jaime Santiago said that the video was made by “disgruntled individuals” who look down on the public.

“Akala nila napakaliit ng utak nating mga Pilipino (they think we are small-minded),” Santiago said. 

Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres said that the video was really intended to make a “misrepresentation” and was “malicious.”

He said that authorities could not say whether the video was made through AI or if it was an actual person.

Andres said the DOJ had substantial leads on the possible perpetrators. 

“We already have substantial leads on how we will be able to identify the perpetrators of this malicious video,” Andres said.

He said the DOJ was looking into whether individuals who shared the video may also be held responsible.

“As if you are agreeing with respect to this video being representation of the president, then you might be equally liable for cybercrime,” Andres said. 

The Department of National Defense has urged concerned United States authorities to probe and bring to justice the perpetrators behind the “disgusting act." —NB, GMA Integrated News