A lawmaker said Thursday that no further clarification was needed regarding President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s health, after St. Luke’s Medical Center firmly denied the authenticity of alleged medical test results circulating online.
Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V of La Union, a stalwart of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), stressed that the issue was not about health, but about the deliberate spread of false information—an assessment firmly backed by an independent and credible institution.
“This is not a health issue. This is a disinformation issue,” Ortega said. “An independent medical institution has already confirmed the documents are fake. We respect and rely on that statement.”
In a public advisory dated January 28, 2026, St. Luke’s Medical Center said it was aware of the circulation of documents claiming to pertain to the President and categorically rejected their authenticity.
“St. Luke’s Medical Center is aware of medical test results falsely circulating online and on social media claiming to pertain to President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr. These documents are FAKE and FALSIFIED,” the hospital said.
Ortega emphasized the denial did not come from Malacañang but from St. Luke’s itself, underscoring that the matter had already been settled by the hospital’s statement.
“That alone settles the issue,” Ortega said.
The La Union House leader also warned against attempts to pressure public officials into disclosing private health information, noting that patient confidentiality is protected by law and hospital policy.
“The President respects patient confidentiality and data privacy. That principle applies to everyone,” Ortega said. “No one should be pushed into violating privacy laws just to feed rumors.”
In its advisory, St. Luke’s reiterated its strict observance of confidentiality and data privacy, stressing that medical results are released only through official channels.
“St. Luke’s Medical Center strictly upholds patient confidentiality and data privacy. Medical results are released only to the patient himself/herself through authorized and official hospital channels,” it said.
The hospital further warned that any medical documents circulated outside these channels are considered unauthorized and fraudulent.
“Any medical results or documents obtained, posted, shared, or circulated outside these authorized channels are considered unauthorized, fraudulent, or falsified,” St. Luke’s said, adding that such acts constitute “a breach of data privacy and is a violation of hospital policy and applicable laws.”
Ortega echoed the hospital’s call for caution, urging the public to be responsible in sharing information online.
“Fake documents do not deserve airtime,” he said. “Spreading falsified material is irresponsible and only undermines public discourse.”
St. Luke’s also reminded the public that sharing unverified medical information could carry legal consequences.
“The public is strongly urged to exercise caution and responsibility in sharing unverified and unofficial information, particularly alleged medical results, as doing so may contribute to the spread of false information and may expose individuals to legal consequences,” the advisory said.
Ortega said the President remains focused on governance, adding that the controversy should end with the hospital’s categorical denial.
