FACT CHECK: Marcos is still president

Claim: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has resigned from office. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A YouTube channel with 106,000 subscribers posted a video containing the claim on April 28. The video currently has 2,500 views and 90 likes. 

The video’s thumbnail bears the claim: “Sa wakas PBBM bumaba sa pwesto. Ito ang nakakagimbal na balita ngayon.” (Finally, PBBM has resigned. This is today’s shocking news.)

The facts: Marcos still serves as the president of the Philippines.

No news outlet has reported on his alleged resignation and neither are there announcements on his official social media accounts. 

Marcos is still exercising his duties as president. On Monday, April 29, he was in Maguindanao del Norte for the 10th anniversary commemoration of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the inauguration of the Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project Stage II in Pikit, Cotabato.

What the Constitution says: When a president resigns, his vice president shall assume his role, as provided in Section 8, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution. To resign, the president shall submit a written declaration that he is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office” to the Senate president and the speaker of the House, according to Section 11, Article VII of the Constitution. Marcos has not made any such declaration, contrary to the video’s claim.

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No proof presented: The video did not provide any proof to support its claim. Instead, it merely cited calls for Marcos’ supposed resignation among those who attended a prayer rally organized last month by supporters of doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy, who is currently facing multiple charges, including sexual and human trafficking, child and sexual abuse, and money laundering.

Quiboloy is a known ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte. During the prayer rally, Quiboloy and Duterte supporters called for Marcos’ resignation and floated a Duterte-Duterte tandem for the 2028 elections, with Vice President Sara Duterte running for president and her father seeking the vice presidency.

Marcos-Duterte rift: The video was uploaded amid a growing rift between the Marcoses and Dutertes. On April 19, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos spoke out against Sara Duterte, saying her husband’s running mate had “crossed the line” when she supposedly laughed at her father’s jab accusing Marcos of drug use. 

The timing of the video also coincided with recent surveys showing Sara Duterte among the top contenders for the 2028 presidential election. A Pulse Asia survey conducted in March showed that Sara is statistically tied with Senator Raffy Tulfo in first place among potential presidential candidates. – Ailla Dela Cruz/Rappler.com

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