MANILA — The Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) has launched an investigation into a manipulated video falsely depicting President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. endorsing an online trading platform — a digital scam that authorities warn could erode public trust and fuel online fraud.
Brigadier General Bernard Yang, director of the PNP-ACG, confirmed Thursday that they are working closely with Facebook to remove the video and preserve its digital footprint as part of the case buildup.
“For sure makukuha naman natin who’s behind that video. Sa ngayon, hinihintay lang namin ‘yong result from the social media platform,” Yang told the media.
He said the deepfake video, which was shared under the rebranded Facebook page “Inquirer PH Insider” (formerly “Deborah Webb”), is part of a larger pattern of scams involving altered media featuring prominent figures.
“We received several complaints victimizing high-profile individuals at marami tayong mga ginagawa rito, ongoing ang investigations. ‘Yung isa, we are already in the process of applying for a cyber warrant,” he said.
Yang added, “Kaya lang hindi natin talaga muna isinasapubliko dahil tuloy-tuloy po ‘yong aming ginagawang case buildup so that we can file the case against these persons.”
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) also issued a public warning on Wednesday against the fake video, describing it as a dangerous form of disinformation that leverages the President’s image and established media brands to lure unsuspecting users.
“The page is managed from overseas and includes a link directing users to an unrelated e-commerce site,” the CICC revealed in a statement.
“This form of digital deception preys on public trust by blending the likeness of a national leader with familiar media branding in an attempt to drive engagement with what may be a fraudulent scheme disguised as a financial opportunity,” it added.
The original video has since been taken down following Facebook’s coordination with authorities. However, the CICC emphasized continued vigilance and called on the public to be skeptical of online advertisements, especially those that feature public officials, make unrealistic promises, or link to questionable platforms.
“The agency continues to monitor threats of this nature and urges the public to critically assess claims made in online advertisements,” it said./PN
