A Facebook (FB) reel claimed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has an active warrant of arrest in the United States (U.S.) and owes a penalty of over USD 300 million.
This is misleading. While such a penalty is still to be settled, Marcos as president still enjoys immunity in all circumstances and is welcome to the United States as head of state, according to the State Department.
A reader sent a request to VERA Files’ Messenger Misinformation Tipline on April 1 to verify a video clip posted on March 22. It contained a thumbnail that had images of Marcos, U.S. President Donald Trump and former broadcaster Jay Sonza. Text on the thumbnail read:
“BBM DELIKADO DITO. OMG MAY WARRANT OF ARREST SA AMERICA DAHIL SA US300M$ PENALTY. BREAKING NEWS TODAY. JUNYOR MAKUKULONG? ITO ANG AYAW MARINIG NI BBM”
(BBM ON THIN ICE. OMG, BBM HAS A WARRANT OF ARREST IN AMERICA BECAUSE OF A US300M$ PENALTY. BREAKING NEWS TODAY. JUNIOR TO BE JAILED? THIS IS WHAT BBM DOESN’T WANT TO HEAR)
Additional text was plastered above the thumbnail. These read:
“Lagot na” “DI KAYA ANG GOLD NG PINAS PINAMBAYAD SA PENALTY NI BBM?” “HWAG KANG MAGMALINIS DI NAMIN MAKALIMUTAN ANG GINAWA MO SA KOJC” “NAKU BBM NAG PRESIDENTE KA PARA IKAW ANG MASUNOD NA MAKULONG..”
(You’ve been caught; WAS THE PHILIPPINES’ GOLD USED TO PAY OFF BBM’S PENALTY?; DON’T PLAY INNOCENT, WE HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN WHAT YOU DID TO KOJC; BBM RAN FOR PRESIDENT ONLY TO BE ARRESTED NEXT)
A voiceover in the video said Marcos had an active warrant of arrest in the U.S. and owed a USD 300 million penalty, citing a supposed FB post by Sonza.
The video featured in the reel is originally from a Nov. 9, 2024 vlog (archive) by the YouTube channel FOODIE NETH. The alleged FB post (archive) based the claims on an impostor page, not Sonza’s official account.
Commenters had the impression that a warrant for Marcos was issued under Trump’s administration coinciding with the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Marcos and his mother, former first lady Imelda, indeed owe the U.S. government USD 353.6 million (PhP 20.2 billion) for refusing to pay reparations to victims of human rights violations under late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. This was a decision issued by the US District Court of Hawai’i back in 1995, while a 2019 appeal extended the validity of the penalty until 2031.
But the president enjoys diplomatic immunity while in office and has been on official state visits to the U.S. since taking office in 2022.
Read the full story on VERA Files Fact Check.