Deepfake Audio of Philippine President Sparks Alarm Over Foreign Policy Implications

In a concerning development, a manipulated audio recording featuring Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. giving instructions to the military regarding China has sparked considerable alarm among government officials in Manila. They warn that this could potentially impact the nation’s foreign policy.

The altered audio clip features a deep fake rendition of Marcos Jr.’s voice, purportedly directing the military to take action if China poses a threat to the Philippines. He emphasizes his refusal to tolerate further harm to Filipinos by Beijing.

Utilizing deepfake technology, which employs artificial intelligence to alter aspects of a person’s appearance or voice in synthetic media, the manipulated audio was disseminated via a YouTube channel with a substantial number of subscribers. Accompanying the audio was a slideshow of images depicting Chinese vessels in the South China Sea, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

On Tuesday evening, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) issued a public advisory regarding the manipulated content, confirming its complete falsity.

“The Presidential Communications Office has become aware of video content circulating online on a popular video streaming platform containing manipulated audio designed to mimic President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.,” stated the PCO in a release.

“The fabricated audio attempts to portray the President as directing our Armed Forces of the Philippines to take action against a specific foreign nation. However, no such directive has been issued or even considered,” it clarified.

The PCO further affirmed its commitment to combatting fake news, misinformation, and disinformation through its ongoing Media and Information Literacy Campaign.