Marcos not hiding in the US

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with US President Donald Trump on July 22 to discuss enhancing trade and economic cooperation between the two countries

Claim: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is hiding in the United States to avoid facing a case in the Philippines.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A YouTube channel, “Boses ng Masa,” with 114,000 subscribers, posted the video bearing the claim on July 19. As of writing, the video has garnered 5,600 views and 385 likes. 

According to the video’s narrator, Marcos fled to the US to avoid supposed cases filed against him in the Philippines. The narrator added that Malacañang declined to issue a statement regarding the President’s sudden absence. 

This alleged departure supposedly occurred after First Lady Liza Marcos reportedly distanced herself from the Palace as she was unable to remain silent about alleged corruption within her family.

The facts: Marcos is not in hiding. In fact, he returned to the Philippines on Wednesday, July 23, after a three-day official visit to the US, according to the Presidential Communications Office.

Marcos met with US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on July 22 — two days after the misleading video was posted — to discuss enhancing trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. Following negotiations, Trump brought down US tariffs on the Philippines from 20% to 19%. (WATCH: Marcos holds press briefing after Trump meeting in Washington)

Following his US visit, Marcos joined in the distribution of relief assistance to Filipinos affected by the heavy rains and flooding. On July 25, the President attended the launch of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (PhilHealth) Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) Para Malayo sa Sakit in Quezon City.

Repurposed audio: The video provides no evidence for its claim that Marcos was in hiding in the US. Instead, it uses an audio clip of journalist Ted Failon discussing an unrelated case about allegations concerning the First Lady’s supposed involvement in the death of businessman Paolo Tantoco.

This audio originated from a separate YouTube video posted on July 16, which features Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro denying the First Lady’s alleged link to the businessman’s death. (READ: Palace says document on First Lady links to Tantoco death is fake.)

Debunked: Rappler has also previously published a fact-check debunking a false claim about an alleged manhunt for Marcos due to a plunder case. As a sitting president, Marcos is immune from suit. – Lyndee Buenagua/Rappler.com

Lyndee Buenagua is a student journalist based in Baguio and Naga, and an alumna of Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024.

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

Got comments, questions, or insights about this story? Download the Rappler Communities app for iOS, Android, or web, tap the Community tab, and join any of our chat rooms. See you there!