Sen. Imee Marcos wrongly claimed that her father, former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., was awarded three types of military decorations from the United States (U.S.) government for his military service during the Second World War.
She also claimed that Marcos Sr. led a guerilla unit called “Ang mga Maharlika” (The Nobles).
STATEMENT
To commemorate the Day of Valor last April 9, the senator’s official FB page posted a graphic listing the following as her father’s achievements:
- “In 1942, early in his military career, he (Marcos Sr.) earned his first Silver Star medal and was promoted to first lieutenant for leading the Mount Natib encounter, a successful attack on an established Japanese encampment.”
- “He also received the Congressional Medal of Honor from General Wainwright, who promoted him to captain, after strategically decimating another Japanese base at the Salian River.”
- “He received his second Silver Star medal in April of 1945 for the defense of Bessang Pass in Kiangan, Mountain Province.”
- “Distinct among these accolades is the Distinguished Service Cross which General Douglas MacArthur personally pinned on him in recognition of his participation in the defense of Bataan.”
Source: Senator Imee R. Marcos’ official Facebook page, Mabuhay ang mga magigiting na Pilipinong…, April 9, 2022
Minutes later, the graphic was reposted by FB page Jhonylucastv and bore this caption which was also carried by the senator’s FB post:
“Si dating Pangulong Ferdinand E. Marcos ay isa sa kanila, sundalo at lider ng guerilla intelligence group na ‘Ang Mga Maharlika’.”
(Former president Ferdinand E. Marcos was one of them, a soldier and a leader of a guerilla intelligence group called ‘The Maharlikans’.)
Source: Facebook page Jhonylucastv, Mabuhay ang mga magigiting na Pilipinong…, April 9, 2022
The latter post garnered 512 reactions, 16 comments, and 36 shares as of publishing. The senator’s post got a total of 30,900 interactions.
FACT
There is no official U.S. government record supporting the claim about Marcos receiving medals from the U.S. Armed Forces. Claims about such military decorations are fake, according to a 2016 report by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the University of the Philippines’ Third World Studies Center (UP TWSC), and a story by The Washington Post.
Read the full story on VERA Files Fact Check.
