FALSE: Supreme Court says all anti-Marcos textbooks are untrue

At a glance:

• Claim: The Supreme Court said all information in school textbooks calling the ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos a thief, womanizer, and killer are untrue.
• Rating: FALSE
• The facts: The Supreme Court never made such a ruling.
• Why we fact-checked this: This claim was sent to the “Fact-checking in the Philippines” Facebook group for verification. The post has acquired 12,000 reactions, 1,100 comments, and 8,880 shares as of writing.

Complete details:

A video posted by Facebook page “President Bongbong Marcos 2022” falsely claimed that the Supreme Court said all textbooks against the disgraced dictator Ferdinand Marcos were untrue.

The video contained the following text: “Korte Suprema na ang nagsabi, na ang lahat ng text books na paninira sa mga Marcos ay hindi totoo. Sa loob ng 30 years na paninira ng mga oligarko, dilawan at anti-Marcos laban sa pamilya Marcos ay walang ebidensya.“

(No less than the Supreme Court has said that all text books besmirching the name of the Marcoses are untrue. In the 30 years that the oligarchs, the yellow crowd, and anti-Marcos groups defamed the Marcos family, they have not provided any no evidence to their claims.)

The claim was posted on May 22, but is still being circulated as of December. The post was sent to the “Fact-checking in the Philippines” Facebook group for verification. It has gained 12,000 reactions, 1,100 comments, and 8,800 shares as of writing.

The claim is false. The Supreme Court never made such a ruling or pronouncement. No record of such a decision or statement by the Supreme Court can be found on its website.

The video clipped a News5 report uploaded on January 10 regarding former senator Bongbong Marcos’ plan to run in the 2022 elections. “Muli naman niyang pinabulaanan na akusasyong binabago nila ang kasaysayan para pabanguhin ang pangalan ng mga Marcos na madalas bansagan sa mga textbook na tiwali at magnanakaw. Mga korte naman daw ang naglilinis sa kanilang pangalan, lalo’t sunod-sunod ang pagbasura ng Sandiganbayan sa mga forfeiture case laban sa kanilang pamilya,” the report said.

(He again refuted accusations that they were revising history to clear the name of the Marcoses, whom textbooks often labeled as corrupt and thieves. He said that courts were the ones clearing their name, especially since the Sandiganbayan had been junking forfeiture cases against their family one after another.)

Prior to this, the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan dismissed a P200-billion forfeiture case against the Marcoses due to the violation of the Best Evidence Rule given that documents submitted were “mere photocopies.” This decision does not mean that all corruption allegations against the Marcoses were untrue.

In fact, the Sandiganbayan even said in its decision: “The Court acknowledges the atrocities committed during Martial Law under the Marcos regime and the ‘plunder’ committed on the country’s resources. However, absent sufficient evidence that may lead to the conclusion that the subject properties were indeed ill-gotten wealth by the Marcoses, the Court cannot simply order the return of the same to the national treasury.” (READ: Did Marcoses really win? Sandiganbayan justice chides PCGG in P200-B case)

At least 18 civil and forfeiture cases against former first lady Imelda Marcos remain pending. (READ: What’s the latest on cases vs Imelda Marcos, family?)

Rappler earlier debunked another claim that the Marcoses were not convicted of any charges.

Vera Files also fact-checked Bongbong’s claim that plunder, corruption, and human rights violations during his father’s term were fabricated. – Loreben Tuquero/Rappler.com

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