FACT CHECK: Dubious photo, details in supposed last will of Ferdinand E. Marcos

Claim: The last will and testament of former president Ferdinand E. Marcos states that a certain Rodolfo M. Palpallatoc was the trustee of his wealth.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was made in a video posted on November 6 on the Facebook page “Jurres TV 777 Morning STAR.” 

The video claims that it will reveal who has control and authority over Marcos’ “divine wealth and assets.”

Marcos’ supposed last will and testament was shown at the 3:47 mark of the video. The document shows a picture of Marcos, his mother Josefa Edralin, and Palpallatoc who is described in the video as the late president’s “Wonder Boy” and the “trustee” of his wealth.

As of writing, the video has about 14,000 views, 679 reactions, 143 comments, and 228 shares.

The bottom line: The supposed last will and testament contains dubious details that point to its inauthenticity. There are no credible sources verifying that the document shown in the video is Marcos’ last will. 

Marcos’s last will: One known text of Marcos’ last will was signed on June 23, 1988, and stated how his assets would be bequeathed. An earlier one was dated March 17, 1982, and shown in news items published by ABS-CBN and GMA News on November 15, 2016. The 1982 document revealed the former president’s wishes for his burial.

Both documents do not match the supposed last will and testament shown in the video.

Dubious picture: The picture of Marcos, his mother, and Palpallatoc shown in the alleged last will was modified from the original photo showing Marcos waving to the crowd during his presidential inauguration in 1965. The original image can be found in Getty Images and credited to Bettmann.

In the modified picture, Marcos and Josefa were retained, former First Lady Imelda Marcos was replaced by Palpallatoc, while Marcos’ children Ferdinand Jr., Imee, Irene, and other people were removed.

Dubious signage: On the upper portions of the alleged Marcos will, the oval signage of the Malacañang briefing room and the presidential seal are shown. However, these could not have been used at the time of the document’s writing which is 1983 to 1984. The briefing room signage was used only starting 2011, while the seal was used starting 2004. 

Rappler has already fact-checked the misuse of both the oval signage and seal from another video posted on October 29 by the same Facebook page. (READ: FACT CHECK: Ferdinand E. Marcos’ ‘Wonder Boy letter’ has dubious details)

Similar fact-checks: Rappler has previously fact-checked a supposed Marcos letter referring to a certain “Wonder Boy” who had authority over Marcos’ “divine assets.”

Various claims about Marcos’ last will have also been debunked:

• FACT CHECK: No mention of Maharlika fund in Marcos’ last will (July 20, 2023)
• FACT CHECK: No mention of freeing farmers from debt in Marcos’ last will (July 17, 2023)
• FACT CHECK: Marcos’ last will had nothing to do with Estrada’s impeachment (January 16, 2023)
• FACT CHECK: Speech of Imee Marcos about agrarian reform, not her father’s last will (January 9, 2023)
• FACT CHECK: Wala sa huling habilin ni Marcos ang banggit ng ginto o sambayanang Pilipino (December 21, 2022)
• Marcos’ last will did not state that his wealth would be used for nat’l programs (November 22, 2022)

– Percival Bueser/ Rappler.com 

Percival Bueser is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

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