By Benjamin Pulta
MANILA – The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday said it will take necessary steps against purveyors of disinformation which has cropped up in social media following the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte to face charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a statement, the SC said it has taken notice of social media posts circulating online, particularly from Facebook accounts under the names “Choose Libungan” and “Bernard Flores Maicon,” sharing a fabricated document dated March 16, 2025.
The document, falsely attributed to the Supreme Court spokesperson, bears the title “Supreme Court Receives Petition on 16 Million Signatures Calling for President Marcos’ Resignation.”
“We categorically deny the authenticity of this document. No such statement has been issued by the Supreme Court Spokesperson,” the SC said.
The same Facebook accounts claimed in separate posts that the high court’s en banc will convene Monday to discuss the alleged petition.
“This is completely untrue. The Supreme Court has not received any such petition, and no En Banc session is scheduled today for this matter,” the high court said.
“These acts of disinformation, including previous false reports on March 11, 2025, alleging that the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order, will be submitted for appropriate action. The Supreme Court will investigate these incidents and take necessary measures, including the imposition of proper sanctions on those responsible.”
It also urged the public to rely only on official announcements from the Supreme Court, which are published on its official website (sc.judiciary.gov.ph) and verified social media accounts.
“We also caution against sharing unverified information and encourage the public to verify the authenticity of any statement claiming to be from the Supreme Court before disseminating it,” the SC said. (PNA)
