Marcos’ last will did not state that his wealth would be used for nat’l programs

The claim: Former president Ferdinand E. Marcos’ last will and testament stipulated that his wealth would be used to fund programs and national infrastructure projects for Filipinos.

The video, posted by YouTube channel Kaalam PH, claims that the late dictator’s will states that his wealth would be used for livelihood programs, scholarship programs, healthcare programs, disability/retirement/pension programs, national infrastructure programs, agriculture programs, mining programs, and industrial and other economic matters. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The video with the claim was posted by a channel with 904,000 subscribers. The video has 4,900 likes, 117,000 views, and 368 comments as of writing. 

What the will states: Marcos’ Last Will and Testament, which was signed on June 23, 1988, did not state that his wealth would go to any of the aforementioned programs. In fact, his will stated that all of his estate “of every nature and kind,” would be bequeathed to his wife and four children. One-half of his estate would be bequeathed to his wife Imelda, while the other half would go to his children.

Fact checks by VERA Files and Rappler have stated that Marcos’ wealth would not be distributed to Filipinos. The “will” that is being read in the video, which makes mention of funds that will be distributed for different programs and projects, has been debunked by VERA Files as being a fake version of Marcos’ will. – Katarina Ruflo/Rappler.com

Katarina Ruflo  is a volunteer 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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