DOCUMENTS spreading on social media showing President Marcos Jr was a target of an anti-drug operation during the time of President Aquino III are fake, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said yesterday.
“The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency debunks the false operational documents currently in circulation in social media,” the agency said in a statement.
Earlier, a blogger using the name “Maharlika” confirmed a previous statement of former President Duterte that the incumbent was on PDEA’s watchlist.
In January, Duterte claimed Marcos is a drug addict and said he has evidence from PDEA to support it. PDEA, following Duterte’s claim, said Marcos “is not and was never in its watchlist.”
The blogger posted images of supposed PDEA documents (pre-operational report and authority to operate), both dated March 11, 2012, to support her statement.
PDEA said it “ran a check through its Plans and Operations Reports Management Information System or PORMIS and found that no such operation was logged on said date.”
“A critical feature of PORMIS is that one cannot insert or tamper with recorded operations.
All pre-operation documents are serialized and recorded in this database. This ensures the system’s integrity and negates any doubt on the data the system contains,” it added.
PDEA urged the public to be cautious.
“In an age where Artificial Intelligence can generate realistic fake videos, spurious documents and fantastic claims at having ‘insider information,’ the public is cautioned to be more careful in believing such fake news,” PDEA said.
Meanwhile, new PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said the PNP, under his watch, will continue to be aggressive in its campaign against illegal drugs.
“Of course, we go for 100 percent drug-free community,” said Marbil when asked what his marching order is to policemen when it comes to illegal drugs.
Marbil, who assumed the top PNP post last Monday, said it has been intention of his predecessors to have a drug-free country.
“This is what we want for the society. All PNP chiefs want a 100 percent drug-free community,” he said.
