FACT CHECK: Marcos not resigning, video twists podcast remarks

Claim: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will resign as president of the Philippines. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A YouTube channel with 283,000 subscribers posted the claim on December 11. The thumbnail of the nine-minute video — which shows cut-out images of Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte with a crowd in the background — includes the text “BREAKING NEWS — Pres Marcos biglang nagpaalam sa pagbaba sa pwesto?”

(BREAKING NEWS — President Marcos suddenly announced his resignation?)

The vlogger begins the video by asserting that Marcos is stepping down, saying, “Marami ang nagulat. Marami ang nalungkot dito sa biglang pagpaalam ng ating mahal na Pangulo sa pagbaba niya sa pwesto.” 

(Many were surprised. Many were saddened by the sudden farewell of our beloved President as he steps down from his position.)

It goes on to play soundbites of Marcos, in which he expresses hope that the achievements of his administration are sustained even after he is no longer president.

As of writing, the video has garnered 6,200 views, 445 likes, and 407 comments, with several social media users expressing support for Marcos.

The facts: Marcos is not stepping down from office. There is no official statement from Malacañang or the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) regarding his supposed resignation. Major announcements involving the president are typically released through official Palace channels.

The false claim originated from a soundbite taken from BBM Podcast 6 (Episode 2), uploaded by the PCO on December 11. In the episode, Marcos responded to a question about whether he would have governed differently from his father, the late former president Ferdinand E. Marcos.

During the discussion, Marcos emphasized the need for structural reforms that would outlast his administration. 

“My hope and the reason the structural change is important is because kahit wala na ako rito, sana ‘yung mga pagbabagong nasimulan namin o na tumatakbo na, matuloy-tuloy na para hindi na matanggal.”

(My hope, and the reason structural change is important, is that even when I am no longer here, I hope the changes we started or those already underway will continue so they will not be undone.)

Taken in full context, Marcos was referring to long-term governance and institutional reforms that extend beyond a single presidency, not about stepping down from office or resigning. At no point in the episode did he announce or suggest an intention to resign.

By isolating the line “kahit wala na ako rito” (even when I am no longer here) and removing the prior discussion on reforms and continuity, the video gives a misleading impression that Marcos was delivering a farewell message.

This framing is repeated throughout much of the video. Only near the end does the video’s narrator add a brief disclaimer clarifying that he was referring to the President eventually leaving office due to term limits, not an immediate resignation.

However, the video’s sensational presentation, the “breaking news” text in the thumbnail, and the belated disclaimer appear to have led some viewers to believe that Marcos is resigning immediately.

No resignation: In recent weeks, there have been calls for Marcos’ resignation, following corruption allegations regarding the bicam insertion scheme and claims about his alleged drug use. Malacañang has repeatedly ruled out Marcos’ resignation amid these controversies.

Similar fabricated claims about the President’s resignation routinely circulate online. Rappler has debunked previous posts of this type:

• FACT CHECK: Sara Duterte did not replace Marcos as president
• FACT CHECK: Marcos remains president, did not resign
• FACT CHECK: Marcos not forced out of Malacañang
• FACT CHECK: Marcos not resigning following flood control corruption rallies 
• FACT CHECK: No Marcos resignation petition received, online posts are fake – SC 

These posts often use unrelated clips, dramatic thumbnails, and misleading narration to boost engagement. – Nathaniel Vizconde/Rappler.com

Nathaniel Vizconde is a Rappler volunteer. He is a third-year journalism student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the former News Editor of PUP The Catalyst.

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