Malacañang berated “fake news peddlers” yesterday for casting doubt on the authenticity of a photo of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos while attending a meeting of the Asian Cultural Council, and even challenging the Palace to prove that it was not edited.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said those criticizing the photo evidently do not know what the meeting was all about.
She was referring to a photo posted on the official Facebook page of the First Lady on Saturday, March 22, with the caption: “Regular meeting of the Asian Cultural Council; Pangarap Clubhouse, Malacañang Park, Manila on 21 March 2025.”
In the photo, the First Lady was seen wearing a blue dress in a dining area with her guests.
However, supposed “netizens” alleged that the meeting did not really include the First Lady, instead, she was only “photo shopped” into the photo.
“Those who usually criticize are those who are not privy to any meeting. What can we expect from those who know nothing? it’s easy to pretend as if they know everything,” Castro said.
“Anyway, it is better to challenge these fake news vloggers [or] bloggers to show their own verified evidence that will counter that photo,” she added.
Meanwhile, ABANG-Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, committee on public accounts chairman, issued a stern warning to pro-Duterte vloggers and influencers who skipped Friday’s House hearing on fake news and online disinformation.
“Just to remind everyone… resource persons and that include all those resource personnel who are present in today’s (Friday) hearing and maybe they’re monitoring this hearing, let me remind everyone that please don’t force us to cite you in contempt,” he said in a statement.
The next hearing is tentatively set for April 8, subject to changes.
The joint hearing of the committees on public information, public order and safety, and information and communications technology confirmed that subpoenas would be issued to 24 personalities who failed to appear despite receiving show-cause orders.
Among those who failed to attend and are now facing subpoenas are prominent pro-Duterte influencers and bloggers Lorraine Marie Tablang Badoy-Partosa, Jeffrey Almendras Çeliz and Allan Troy “Sass” Rogando Sasot.
The Tri-Comm also ordered to issue subpoena against Alex Distor, Alven L. Mortero, Claire Eden Contreras, Claro Ganac, Cyrus Priglo, Darwin Salceda, Edwin Jamora, Elmer Jugalbot, Ernesto S. Abines Jr., Atty. Glen Chong, Jeffrey G. Cruz, Joe Smith Medina, Jonathan Morales, Julius Melanosi Maui, Kester Ramon John Balibalos Tan, Lord Byron Cristobal, Ma. Florinda Espenilla-Duque, Maricar Serrano, Suzanne Batalla, Mary Catherine Binag, and Vivian Zapata Rodriguez.
For his part, 1-RIDER party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez on Sunday said the spread of false claims on TikTok asserting that China owns Palawan underscores the platform’s failure to effectively curb disinformation.
He raised alarm over the viral posts claiming that Palawan is beyond Philippine territory, saying that the content was deliberately crafted to mislead the public.
Gutierrez called for stronger proactive measures from TikTok.
“It is clear that users are actively pushing false narratives, and yet the platform is not doing enough to stop them from spreading,” he lamented.
As this developed, the Department of Agriculture sought the National Bureau of Investigation’s assistance in uncovering those behind social media posts falsely claiming that some rice farmers had taken their lives due to low prices of “palay.”
In a Saturday news forum, DA Spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said an investigation conducted by the agency showed that such claims were simply made up.
“The agriculture secretary has had that investigated and we found that that is not true,” he noted.