DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr yesterday revealed attempts to destabilize the administration of President Marcos Jr, hours before the President’s State of the Nation Address.
Teodoro made the statement after a group linked associated with former President Duterte showed a fake video of supposedly President Marcos using illegal drugs.
The group calling itself Maisug played the video during yesterday’s protest in Los Angeles, California showing a man sniffing white powdery substance from a plastic sachet.
Marcos’ predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, earlier alleged the President is a drug addict.
Teodoro said the video is a fake, adding it was obvious the man on the video was not President Marcos.
Teodoro it is “now clear there is an intense plan to destabilize our government.”
He said this started with “fake news” about the Armed Forces and the DND, referring to a manifesto of alleged active military members calling for his replacement of Teodoro for alleged lack of competence and professionalism.
Teodoro said this was followed by reports of military generals walking out of a command conference, presided over by President Marcos Jr, last June 4 at Camp Aguinaldo.
“Now, curiously on the day of SONA, they came out with a fake video and they did it in US,” said Teodoro, surmising the group did this in the United States so Philippine authorities would not go after them.
Teodoro asked US authorities to investigate the incident so that the people behind the fake video will be brought to justice.
DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong said, “The obviously fake video being circulated emanating from a Maisug gathering in Los Angeles is again a maliciously crude attempt to destabilize the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.”
“They will not succeed,” he added.
Andolong said described the release of the “contrived video” as a “cowardly attempt to escape Philippine criminal jurisdiction.”
Teodoro said the DND, along with the AFP and other agencies under the department, is “solidly behind” the leadership of President Marcos, the chain of command, and the Constitution.
National Security Council Assistant Director General and spokesman Jonathan Malaya said the video “is fabricated and malicious hoax peddled on the Filipino people.”
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin called the video “malicious.”
Presidential son Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos called the fake video “nothing but a pathetic attempt to destabilize the administration.”
“(It’s) nothing but a pathetic attempt to destabilize the administration. We should really come to expect that from them at this point, there were already statements made by certain agencies that I think are not worth adding to so I think so I’ll just leave it that, it’s just frankly, pathetic,” he told reporters.
The younger Marcos said the deepfake video “is not worth dignifying” and that the timing of its release is “a little obvious.”
House majority leader Manuel Jose Dalipe also condemned the people responsible for the fabrication and dissemination of an AI-generated video “to malign and attack President Marcos hours before his SONA.”
“The Dutertes have been going around the country organizing these Maisug rallies to call for President Marcos to resign so that Vice President Sara Duterte can take over,” Dalipe said. “Sobrang foul na ito (This is so foul). Whoever is behind this and whoever is financing this attempt to malign the president have crossed the line. I call on the PNP and the NBI to get to the bottom of this evil deed and take immediate action.”
The Department of Justice warned said video was “fake” and warned those behind it of criminal charges under the Revised Penal Code.
“The production and dissemination of such false information are not only irresponsible but also illegal under Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code,” the DOJ said in a statement.
Article 154 states that “any person who, by means of printing or any other means of publication, shall publish or cause to be published as news any false news which may endanger the public order, or cause damage to the interest or credit of the State, can be held criminally liable.”
The DOJ also said the release of the video in time for Marcos’ 3rd State of the Nation Address is meant to undermine his credibility among the people.
It echoed the comment of Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos who said the timing of the release is “malicious” coming it on the President’s SONA. — With Jocelyn Montemayor, Wendell Vigilia and Ashzel Hachero
