Discredited Maisug rallyists were “pathetic” in their attempt to produce a deepfake video of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who delivered his 2024 State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, as they try to desperately remain relevant in Filipino society, government officials said.
Netizens echoed this sentiment after watching the deepfake video shown to Maisug sympathizers in Los Angeles, California, prompting Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin to brand the deepfake video as nothing but “malicious.”
Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos has already ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to investigate the deepfake video.
Showing a comparison of the President’s photo and the deepfake video, Secretary Abalos pointed out the obvious: “‘Yung nasa baba ay ‘yung larawan nu’ng allegedly ating pangulo daw. Tignan niyo ang tenga. Tignan niyo maigi ang tenga dito. Pagmasdan niyo. ‘Yung larawan ng ating Pangulo sa kaliwa, ‘yung earlobe na tinatawag. Tignan niyo ‘yung nasa kanan.”
This was not the first time that the President was a target of deepfake videos on the Internet, with several incidents already being investigated by authorities this year, Malacanang noted.
“I’m asking our chief PNP, General Marbil, together with General Baccay and, of course, General Cariaga to immediately create a task force to probe this issue. Talagang imbestigahan nila maigi ito,” Abalos said in a press briefing in Camp Crame.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) stressed that the video was “deepfake” or digitally created.
DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy warned the perpetrators of the deepfake video that they could be held liable under laws against cyber libel, slander, and malicious mischief.
Secretary Uy stressed that the public should expect more deepfake videos “considering election season is coming.”
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. also slammed the “maliciously crude attempt to destabilize the administration” as he assured the public that “they will not succeed.”
“Even the release of the contrived video in the USA is a cowardly attempt to escape Philippine criminal jurisdiction,” the Defense chief added.
The DND urged concerned United States authorities to probe and bring to justice the perpetrators behind the “disgusting act.”
The Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation, Secretary Larry Gadon, dismissed the rallyists and sympathizers as “pathetic” and “laos,” or “out of date.”
“Sino pa ba eh di siyempre yung mga nasa likod ng mga Maisog, Maisog rally na yan, mga laos na mga tao, yung mga hindi na-appoint, yung mga walang pinagkakakitaan, bitter people who were not appointed,” Gadon said.
“Ipagpatuloy pa nila lalo, ibaon niyo lalo sa hukay ang inyong mga sarili dahil talaga namang wala namang pumapansin sa inyo.”
