Former and presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. does not believe he is the principal benefactor of the spread of fake news on social media platforms, instead claiming to be a victim of it.

“I don’t see how that (myself benefitting from fake news) is [happening]. Para sa akin, ako ang nabibiktima ng fake news dahil ang dami daming sinabi na ‘di totoo,” Marcos remarked during the Go Negosyo conference.

(As far as I’m concerned, I’m a victim of fake news since they tell so many lies.)

He did not, however, define what the accused false stories against him were.

“Biktima kami diyan eh. Fina-fact check ako, na sinasabi hindi totoo yung mga sinasabi ko, wala naman akong sinabing ganun. Pero fake news daw yung sinabi ko… Iniimbento nila yung sinasabi ko, tapos sasabihing fake, ” Marcos added.

(We are the victims here. I am being fact-checked. They are stating that what I am saying is a lie when I did not say it. That I only talk fake news. They manufacture remarks apparently made by me and then say I am the things I say are phony.)

Bongbong, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos’s son and namesake, made the statements two days after fellow presidential candidate and Vice President Leni Robredo declared that Marcos is the principal benefactor of the misinformation materials flooding the media.

Robredo was alluding to a report produced by independent groups that found she is the top target of misinformation content online, while Marcos is the biggest recipient of such misleading information.

However, fact checkers should not have a political agenda, according to Marcos.

“Fact checkers, kung minsan, may sariling agenda. Kaya fina-fact check lang nila iyong one side of the story. ‘Yung kabila, Hindi nila ginagawa. Tanggalin natin yung mga ganun, ” he said without clarifying what such hidden objectives are.

(Fact checkers sometimes have a hidden agenda; they just fact check one side and do not fact check the opposing side; this should be eliminated.)