FACT CHECK: Imee Marcos didn’t say the President should jail wife Liza

Claim: Senator Imee Marcos challenged her brother President and Agriculture Secretary Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to send First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos to jail, in connection with the agriculture smuggling issue. 

The text flashed on the thumbnail of a YouTube video says: “SEN. IMEE GUSTO IPAKULONG SI LIZA!” (Sen. Imee wants to send Liza to jail!)

A quote also says: “SMUGGLERS AT PROTEKTOR NILA TULAD NI LIZA DAPAT AY IKULONG NA, MGA SALOT KAYO SA BAYAN!” (Smugglers and their protectors like Liza should be sent to jail, you’re a plague to the country!)

The video showed a clip of Imee challenging the President to name agriculture smugglers and other corrupt officials, urging him to file cases against them.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The video containing the claim has 11,000 views as of writing. It is also being shared on Facebook by multiple accounts. 

The facts: Although the senator said last January 31 that big-time smugglers of agricultural products must be sent to jail, she did not name names, nor mention the President’s wife Liza in her statement. 

Imee said regardless of who they might be, the government should not spare anyone. She also urged her co-lawmakers to probe into the matter after the House committee on agriculture and food postponed its investigation into the agriculture smuggling issue.

Meanwhile, the video of Imee challenging the President to name and file a case against smugglers was an old one taken last July 25, 2022, before Marcos himself delivered his first State of the Nation Address. – Ailla Dela Cruz/Rappler.com

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. You may also report dubious claims to #FactsFirstPH tipline by messaging Rappler on Facebook or Newsbreak via Twitter direct message. You may also report through our Viber fact check chatbot. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.