MANILA – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is working on an airtight case against those responsible for making and spreading a “deepfake” video of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
According to NBI director Jaime Santiago, they have identified several suspects behind the video, which was first shared during a political gathering in Los Angeles, California, but are still gathering enough evidence.
“So tinitibayan namin ang lahat ng aming ebidensya. The PNP (Philippine National Police) and NBI are working together on this case,” Santiago said.
The NBI official further said their spectral imaging analysis showed the video had been processed to depict the Chief Executive snorting a white powdery substance from a small cup.
Lawyer Jeremy Lotoc, head of the NBI Cybercrime Division, said the man in an altered video depicting President Marcos that circulated online is conclusively a different person.
He added that a comparison of the facial angles of Marcos and the individual in the video showed that one is unique to the President on one side, and the other is unique to the man on the video from a different side.
Meanwhile, Department of Justice undersecretary Hermogenes Andres said the creation of the video showed that “the intention is really to make a misrepresentation.”
“This impostor trying to misrepresent himself as an image of the President doing unsavory acts, definitely, he was not the President,” Andres said in a statement.
He added: “Those who spread the fake video may be held equally liable for cybercrime because this is a malicious imputation of a crime of vice that is being done through the use of the internet.”/PN
