Philippine social media users fall for fake CNN report that described president as 'cocaine addict'

Published on August 27, 2024 at 10:57
Updated on August 27, 2024 at 11:02
3 min read
By Ara Eugenio, AFP Philippines

A fabricated CNN news story that described Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos as "cocaine-addicted" has circulated in social media posts that falsely presented it as genuine. The claim has been shared hundreds of times by supporters of Marcos's predecessor Rodrigo Duterte who had previously accused the current president of being a "drug addict".

"PHILIPPINES FACES UNIQUE CHALLENGE WITH COCAINE-ADDICTED PRESIDENT," read the text in an image appearing to show a CNN news segment featuring news anchor Anderson Cooper.

It was posted on Facebook by former broadcaster and Duterte supporter Jay Sonza on August 24 and has been reshared over 1,600 times since.

"The world is already talking about you. We don't deserve you as our president. It's about time you seek professional help," the post's caption said.

Screenshot of the false Facebook post taken August 26, 2024

The once-allied Marcos and Duterte families have had a bitter, public falling out as they attempt to shore up their rival support bases and secure key positions ahead of mid-term elections in 2025 (archived link).

Duterte had accused Marcos of being a "drug addict" while Marcos retaliated by claiming Duterte's health had suffered from long-term fentanyl use, though neither provided evidence.

During a rally in Los Angeles in July, a Duterte-linked political group showed a video that allegedly showed Marcos inhaling a white powder. It was denounced as fake by Philippine cabinet officials and police forensic experts (archived link).

Pro-Duterte social media users on Facebook, X and TikTok have also shared the image of the purported CNN report with many appearing to believe it was genuine.

"The Philippines does not deserve an addict for a president," said one user.

"The world is watching! God help the Philippines," another commented.

Fabricated report

Multiple keyword searches on Google and on the official social media pages of CNN, however, found no matching story as the circulating image.

"That is a fabricated and manipulated image, and not something CNN ever reported," Emily Kuhn, CNN's senior vice president of communications, told AFP in an email on August 26, 2024.

A reverse image search on TinEye found Cooper's picture was earlier used as the thumbnail of a January 13, 2024 video report titled: "Anderson Cooper guesses NFL teams based on their logos" (archived link).

In the CNN broadcast, Cooper is seen sporting the same hairstyle and outfit while being quizzed by CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten about teams in the US' National Football League.

Below is a screenshot comparison between the image in the false posts (left) and the photo as it appears on the CNN website (right):

Screenshot comparison between the image in the false posts (left) and the photo on the CNN website (right)

Moreover, an analysis of the fabricated image shows the font, placement of the CNN logo and layout are inconsistent with the genuine broadcast.

Below is a screenshot comparison between the circulating image (left) and a frame from the genuine CNN show (right) with the inconsistencies highlighted:

Screenshot comparison between the circulating image (left) and a frame from the genuine CNN show (right) with the inconsistencies highlighted

AFP has previously debunked other manipulated CNN reports.

August 27, 2024Headline and first line edited to add the word "as"

August 27, 2024 Headline and first line edited to add the word "as"

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