First Lady Liza Marcos attends the Manila International Film Festival gala dinner at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on March 7, 2025. Photo from LAM Facebook page

MANILA (UPDATE 3) — Malacañang on Thursday refuted social media posts alleging that First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos had been "detained" in Los Angeles in United States. 

"There is no truth that [the First Lady] was held by any law enforcers while in Los Angeles or and in any other place," the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said.

Marcos Jr. at First Lady nag-date sa Valentine's Day

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said that the First Lady arrived in the Philippines early Monday morning.

Marcos was in Los Angeles for the Manila International Film Festival, which organizers said is meant to "[promote and help] uplift Filipino films from the Philippines in Hollywood and beyond."

The First Lady was in Miami, Florida and Los Angeles, California to attend various activities related to the Meeting of the Minds and Manila International Film Festival from March 5 - 8, 2025. 

On Tuesday, March 11, she led a donation turnover to the Girl Scout of the Philippines at her office in Manila, based on her social media post on Facebook.

The arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte for a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court has seen false claims spread on social media.

Among those are the First Lady's rumored detention, a supposed message of support for Duterte from US President Donald Trump, and the incorrect claim that the Supreme Court had issued a temporary restraining order on his arrest and transfer to The Hague in the Netherlands.

The Supreme Court said Tuesday that no TRO had been issued and that petitioners had failed to show a basis for it to issue one. 

FALSE INFO ON SUPPOSED SUPREME COURT TRO

In a separate briefing on Thursday, House Assistant Majority Leader Jefferson Khonghun of Zambales called the false information on the TRO “a clear effort to mislead” and “confuse” the public.

Lawyer and PDP Laban candidate Raul Lambino claimed on a streamed video on Tuesday night that a TRO had already been issued and that he and Kingdom of Jesus Christ lawyer Israelito Torreon were headed to the Supreme Court to get a copy.

They did not, in the end, get one because no TRO had been issued.

“This is a clear case of misinformation… Walang puwang ang fake news sa ating lipunan. At sana ‘yung mga nagpapakalat ng mag fake news na ito managot. Maliwanag na may nagpakalat nito para lituhin yung ating taumbayan dahil sa maling impormasyon,“ Khonghun said.

(There is no space for fake news in our society, and I hope the one spreading that fake news is held accountable. Clearly, this was spread confusion)

Without naming Lambino or Torreon, Khonghun said lawyers are not supposed to lie or spread disinformation.

“Sana nagkamali lang sila na akala talaga nila mayroon. Masyadong nakakatakot kapag alam nila, na sinasadya nila… It could promote chaos” House Assistant Majority Leader Ernesto Dionisio Jr. of Manila also said.

(I hope it was just a case of a wrong assumption. It is too frightening to consider that they knew it was untrue and spread it intentionally)

NBI WARNS VS SPREADING 'MALICIOUS' RUMORS

The National Bureau of Investigation also on Thursday warned vloggers and online trolls against spreading rumors about the alleged arrest of the First Lady.

NBI Director Jaime Santiago condemned the viral rumors, calling them "malicious" and stressing that the public should not be swayed by these fabricated stories.

“Alam mo, nakakagulat ‘yung mga ganyang fake news, ano? Instead na manatili tayong tahimik, gumagawa sila ng another story. Parang hindi natin maintindihan kung ano ang gusto nilang mangyari,“ Santiago said. 

(You know, this kind of fake news is surprising. Instead of things being orderly, they make up  another story. I don't understand what they are trying to make happen)

He pointed out that the First Lady’s presence in the Philippines had been confirmed even before the rumors about her supposed arrest surfaced.

“Nag-donate pa nga siya. Anong sasabihin nilang na-hold? Makikita niyo ‘yung malicious na dissemination ng fake information."

(She was even at a donation ceremony. What are they talking about? You can really see that this was a malicious dissemination of fake information) 

NBI TO WORK WITH DICT AND NTC VS 'FAKE NEWS'

He said the NBI has been closely monitoring vlogs and social media accounts that have been spreading these false claims.

“Sasabihin nilang freedom of expression, freedom of the press, but lagi kong sinasabi, hindi ‘yan absolute. Meron ‘yang limitation. Pag lumalagpas ka na dun sa hangganan, libelous na ‘yung sinasabi mo, kasinungalingan na, nagke-create ka ng gulo sa bansa natin,” he said.

(They will cite freedom of expression and freedom of the press, but I always say that those are not absolute. These have limitations and when you cross the line, when what you are saying is libelous, are lies, then you are creating confusion in the country)

Press freedom and freedom of expression advocates have long campaigned for the decriminalizaiton of libel, saying it is outdated, cruel and has been used to silence criticism and dissent despite guarantees in the 1987 Constitution.

“These vloggers, they earn money depending on the number of likes, shares, and views they get. E pagka-tinolerate natin ‘yan, like tayo ng like, e kumikita sila, tuwang-tuwa ‘yan (If we tolerate that, they will be very happy because they can make money)," he said.

H said the NBI will coordinate with the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the National Telecommunications Commission against "fake news" — a term often used for misinformation and disinformation. — with Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News

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