FALSE: Jollibee expressed support for Marcos Jr.

At a glance

• Claim: A Jollibee mascot expressed support for Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
• Rating: FALSE
• The facts: The photo of a Jollibee mascot was altered. Jollibee Foods Corporation said on their verified Twitter account that they “support a clean and fair election and do not endorse any political party or candidate.”
• Why we fact-checked this: One Facebook post with this claim has 5,000 reactions, 340 comments, and 380 shares, as of writing.

Complete details

A photo collage uploaded by the Facebook page “Forever Marcos” on January 18 said Jollibee supports the presidential bid of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

The claim shows Jollibee, a Filipino fast-food chain’s mascot, holding a sign in support of Marcos. The sign says, “BBM 2022.” The collage has different photos of Marcos together with the Jollibee mascot.

As of writing, the post with the claim has 5,000 reactions, 340 comments, and 380 shares on Facebook.

It is false.

The photo of a Jollibee mascot was altered. The original photo was taken from the opening of the first Jollibee store in Spain uploaded on September 24, 2021.

In the original photo, “1st in Spain” can be seen written on the banner raised by the Jollibee mascot. In the edited photo, the banner is replaced by the words “BBM 2022.”

Jollibee Foods Corporation released a statement on their verified Twitter account, saying, “Jollibee Foods Corporation and its brands Jollibee, Chowking, Mang Inasal, Greenwich, and Red Ribbon among others, support a clean and fair election and do not endorse any political party or candidate.”

ABS-CBN News, GMA News, and Inquirer, among others, have published the original photo in their news reports regarding the opening of the first Jollibee store in Spain. – Owenh Toledo/Rappler.com

Owenh Toledo 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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