MANILA – Malacañang on Wednesday warned the public against a viral audio recording where a voice mimicking President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s allegedly directed the military to act against a particular country.
In a statement, the Palace said the audio content that is currently making rounds in a popular video streaming platform has been manipulated using deepfake technology.
“The audio deepfake attempts to make it appear as if the President has directed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to act against a particular foreign country,” according to a statement by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
“No such directive exists nor has been made. Deepfakes are an advanced form of digital content manipulation through the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI),” it added.
In the said audio recording, which was aired on an AM radio on Wednesday morning, the voice that sound like President Marcos’ allegedly ordered the AFP to launch an attack against China.
The voice also allegedly ordered for the investigation against former President Rodrigo Duterte for a “gentleman’s agreement” with China President Xi Jinping.
The Palace added it is actively working on measures to combat fake news, misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation under the Media and Information Literacy Campaign.
It is also closely coordinating and working with relevant government agencies and private sector partners to address the proliferation and malicious use of video and audio deepfakes and other generative AI content.
“Let us all be more vigilant against such manipulated digital content that are deployed by actors to propagate malicious content online and advance a malign influence agenda,” the PCO said.
“We encourage everyone to work with us in fostering a more aware, resilient, and engaged citizenry in our digital commons,” the statement added./PN
