Malacañang said it will not accept apologies or excuses from individuals who circulated online a fabricated hospital document about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s health, including a vlogger who admitted reposting the material when he faced investigators on Wednesday.
Palace press officer Claire Castro stressed that accountability must follow for those behind the spread of the false report, warning that online content creation should not be treated lightly when it can mislead the public and harm the person targeted.
“The law must be enforced. Those who violate the law must be held accountable,” Castro said. “Creating content online should not be taken as a joke, especially when it can affect not only the person who made the subject of the content but also the public as a whole, since communities may be exposed to fake news.”
Castro issued the statement after vlogger and social media personality Jack Argota appeared before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), where he is facing a cyberlibel complaint filed by the bureau.
After his meeting with NBI officials, Argota told reporters that he reposted the image of the supposed medical report from other social media accounts “just to ride the trend and boost engagement.” He said he believed the document was “legit” because it had already been widely shared online.
The NBI has also lodged cyberlibel complaints against former broadcaster Jay Sonza and vlogger Jeffrey Luces Celiz for allegedly spreading content based on the same fake medical record.
St. Luke’s Medical Center, whose logo was shown on the circulating document, has denied the report’s authenticity.
