Palace: Video of Marcos shared 'out of context' to spread false info

Malacañang on Saturday warned against peddlers of false information on social media who have allegedly shared a video clip of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. "out of context" to make it appear that he was receiving an inappropriate item during a public event.

In an Instagram stories post by the Presidential Communications Office's (PCO) fact-checking unit "Maging Mapanuri," the Palace said the video that quickly went viral is being used to spread false narratives.

The PCO post showed supposed screen grabs of related social media content and comments, including those alleging that the President was handed illegal drugs by a man who asked for his selfie.

"Ginagamit ng ilang indibidwal ang ganitong uri ng content upang magpalaganap ng maling naratibo," the PCO said.

(Some individuals are using this kind of content to spread a false narratives.)

"Kapag ang isang video o larawan ay ibinahagi nang wala sa tamang konteksto, nagiging madali para sa ilan na mapaniwala ang publiko sa maling impormasyon. Sa comment section pa lang, mapapansin agad ang mga haka-haka at opinyon ng mga netizen," the Palace said.

(When a video or photo is being shared out of context, it becomes easy for some to believe false information. In the comment sections alone, speculations and opinions of netizens were noticeable.)

Seeking to clarify what transpired in the video, the PCO provided a zoom-in image of the man's open hand. The object he was handing the Marcos, the PCO said, was a lapel pin bearing the seal of the former's political party.

"Kahit malinaw ang footage, kapag tinanggal ang tamang konteksto, madali itong magamit upang lumikha ng mga maling kuwento. Ito'y isang simpleng pagkilos na binibigyan ng ibang interpretasyon dahil sa kakulangan ng buong kuwento," the PCO said.

(Even if the footage is very clear, when taken out of context, it can be easily used to create false narratives. It was a simple act which was given an entirely different story because of the lack of proper context.)

"Ang pag-blur ng katotohanan, pagputol ng mga clips, o pagbibigay ng mga impormasyon nang wala sa tamang konteksto ay nagiging mabisang paraan upang malinlang ang publiko," it added.

(Blurring the truth, splicing clips, and spreading information without proper context can be effective tools to mislead the public.)

With this, Malacañang urged the Filipinos to do their own research to unveil the truth and join the crusade against false information. — VDV, GMA Integrated News