By Liza Soriano
MANILA — Senator Robin Padilla said on Thursday (April 25, 2024) that he is confident soldiers will not be swayed by the deepfake audio purportedly portraying President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ordering the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to attack China.
“I am 100% certain that soldiers will not believe in that hoax video. Declaring war doesn’t happen in that manner,” Padilla remarked during the Kapihan sa Senado media forum.
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) previously stated that the audio deepfake aimed to depict the President directing the AFP to take action against a specific foreign country and clarified that no such directive had been issued.
The senator emphasized that those responsible for such acts should be apprehended.
“And that’s not how it works. We have a Constitution to follow in declaring war. It goes through us in Congress. The president’s temper cannot dictate… in my opinion, they should be apprehended swiftly. Show the capability of law enforcement. Even if this is unbelievable, it should not take long; within 24 hours, they should be caught,” Padilla remarked.
Meanwhile, Padilla dismissed the notion of a high-level conspiracy.
“This is the work of idle minds. But of course, they need to be apprehended, imprisoned, and face the consequences,” he added.
(el Amigo/MNM)
