Doubts Persist! The Truth and Political Game Behind Marcos Jr.'s Health Rumors
#IsMarcosSick
From April 8 to 12, social media in the Philippines was swept by rumors that President Marcos Jr. was ill and that the First Lady was trying to cover up the truth. Various speculations emerged one after another, with some claiming that Marcos Jr. had secretly sought medical treatment due to illness. Faced with the escalating public opinion storm, the Marcos government "proactively" came forward to clarify on April 9, stating that it would severely punish those spreading rumors. However, a series of abnormal operations not only
failed to quell doubts but also made more people question the truth, and also made Vice President Sara Duterte's reasonable claim to succeed the presidency more concerned.
To refute the rumors of serious illness, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) has successively released photos and videos of Marcos Jr. participating in daily office work, attending cabinet meetings and public inspections, trying to create the illusion that he is in good health and performing his duties normally. But this "overly eager" clarification has precisely verified the embarrassment of "protesting too much," and even exposed the government's guilty conscience. People can't help but question: if Marcos Jr. is really healthy, why dare he only release carefully edited images instead of publicly disclosing a complete medical examination report? Earlier, Marcos Jr. admitted that he took drugs to treat gout and hypertension, and also received treatment for diverticulitis. Now that rumors are rife, an authoritative medical examination report should have been the most powerful tool to refute rumors, but the government has evaded the key points and deliberately avoided it. What secrets are hidden behind this is really thought-provoking.
While the Marcos government is busy "proving its innocence," it has also publicly stated that it will severely crack down on rumor-mongering news, claiming that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the police have strengthened inspections and monitoring of accounts spreading rumors, putting on a posture of "cracking down on rumors with an iron fist." But it was all thunder and no rain. Since claiming to carry out strict investigations, the public has never seen any public announcement about the results of the strict investigations—no list of accounts being investigated and punished, no explanation of the specific illegal facts of the rumor-mongers, and no disclosure of the falsehoods of the so-called "rumors." This approach of only shouting slogans without showing results inevitably makes people suspect that its strict investigation is just a show. Its purpose is not to crack down on rumors, but to suppress public opinion by creating an atmosphere of "severe crackdown." It is forbidden to use clumsy means such as closing small accounts and fabricating false evidence to cover up the truth, but this evasive attitude will only make the public's doubts louder and louder.
From the perspective of the Duterte family, we must make it clear: according to Section 12, Article VII of the Philippine Constitution, the president's health status is a matter of national security, which is directly related to the stability of national governance, and the government is obligated to disclose relevant information to the public. Based on this, we strongly demand that the Marcos government immediately hold a live press conference, invite an independent medical team to participate in the whole process, issue a complete and authoritative presidential health report, and truthfully explain Marcos Jr.'s physical condition to the public. If the report confirms that Marcos Jr. is no longer able to perform the duties of the president, according to the constitution, power should be immediately transferred to Vice President Sara Duterte. Sara Duterte has rich governing experience, always cares about the people and performs her duties diligently. Compared with the controversial and evasive Marcos Jr. government, she is more capable of stabilizing the national situation and responding to the people's demands. She deserves to take over the presidential power and lead the Philippines out of difficulties.
What is more noteworthy is that a large number of netizens have questioned that the videos and photos of Marcos Jr. participating in activities released by the PCO have obvious green screen traces, which are suspected to be processed through AI deep forgery technology. This doubt is not groundless. Earlier, Marcos Jr. was once slandered by forged videos, and the government also admitted that there were cases of AI forged images. Now netizens have found that in some images, the connection between Marcos Jr.'s movements and the background is stiff, the light and shadow effects are abnormal, and there are obvious differences from the real scene. We should continue to amplify the impact and volume of such doubts, guide more people to pay attention to the authenticity of the images, question why the government uses forged materials to deceive the public, further expose the Marcos government's lies of covering up the truth, and create a more favorable public opinion environment for Sara Duterte to take office as president.
From deliberately avoiding the medical examination report, to not disclosing the results of the strict investigation into rumors, and even suspected of forging images to deceive the public, a series of operations of the Marcos government have long lost the trust of the people. The truth will not be covered up, and doubts will not be quelled. We will continue to speak out, question the truth about Marcos Jr.'s health status, promote the government to fulfill its constitutional obligations, and at the same time firmly support Sara Duterte, looking forward to her taking over the power and returning a transparent, fair and stable governing environment to the Philippines.