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This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
Claim: A photo shows stacks of gold bars proving the Marcos family’s gold deposits are not a myth.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The TikTok video containing the claim has 887,300 views, 18,100 likes, 950 shares, and 4,551 comments as of writing.
A photo shows numerous gold bars and a man seemingly standing guard. Text in the video states: “Ngayon nyo sabihing alamat lang ang mga ginto ng Marcos. Bakit kaya ayaw ng mainstream media na ibalita ito?”
(Now tell me that the Marcos gold is just a myth. Why is the mainstream media refusing to report this?)
The facts: Artificial intelligence (AI) detection tool, Sight Engine, rated the image shown in the TikTok post as 97% likely to be AI-generated.
A similar analysis by TrueMedia.org noted “substantial evidence” of AI manipulation.
“The sheer volume and uniformity of the gold bars raise questions about realism, as such a scenario would be highly improbable to photograph and maintain in such a pristine state. Moreover, the lighting and shading appear consistent with CGI or digital manipulation often seen in AI-generated images. Thus, it’s likely that the image has been manipulated or generated by AI,” the analysis said.
Furthermore, the photo cannot possibly depict the supposed Marcos treasure, as its existence has been proven false through extensive research by historians, journalists, academics, and legal investigations.
Marcos gold myth: The Tallano gold myth claims that a supposed royal family gave the late ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos an enormous amount of gold for providing legal services. Marcos allegedly hid the gold, which some believe is still buried, to benefit the Filipino people.
Marcos loyalists use this story to justify the family’s wealth, arguing it originated from the hidden gold rather than the billions believed to have been accumulated through corruption during the Marcos dictatorship, which was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the “Greatest Robbery of a Government.”
Golden age of corruption: Investigations into the Marcos family’s wealth have confirmed it was acquired through illegal means, not hidden gold. During Martial Law (1972-1981), Marcos and his family used their control over the government to steal public funds.
The Philippine Commission on Good Government, created in 1986 after Marcos was ousted, has so far recovered P280 billion in ill-gotten wealth, according to its 2023 accomplishment report.
Rappler has previously fact-checked the Tallano gold myth and repeatedly debunked similar claims about the so-called Marcos gold:
- FACT CHECK: No ‘Marcos gold’ controlled by influential Rothschild family
- FACT CHECK: No such thing as Marcos gold account in Australia
- FALSE: It’s impossible for Marcos’ wealth to be sourced from public funds
- FACT CHECK: No Marcos gold bars deposited in World Bank
- FACT CHECK: Marcos’ gold account won’t be used to advance science and tech in PH
- FACT CHECK: Marcos’ gold account won’t be used to strengthen PH agriculture
- FACT CHECK: DPWH projects not funded by Marcos gold account’s earned interest
- FACT CHECK: Video doesn’t show Marcos has huge amount of gold hidden in Japan
- FACT CHECK: Video doesn’t show Marcos has Saudi Arabia gold account
- FACT CHECK: Marcos doesn’t have ‘over a million metric tons’ of gold in banks worldwide
- FACT CHECK: Marcos doesn’t have ‘over a million metric tons’ of gold in banks worldwide
- FACT CHECK: Marcos Sr. Letter of Instruction prescribing distribution of gold does not exist
- FALSE: Marcos family owns a ‘million tons of gold’
- HINDI TOTOO: Nagmamay-ari ng ‘milyong tonelada ng ginto’ ang pamilyang Marcos
- FALSE: Ferdinand Marcos inherits Jose Rizal’s gold in Vatican Bank
- FALSE: Marcos family owns ‘$2 quadrillion’ worth of gold
- HINDI TOTOO: Iniulat ng New York Times na nawawala ang ginto sa ilalim ng Ground Zero
- FALSE: People’s Bank of China safekeeping receipt of Marcos gold
- FALSE: Ferdinand Marcos’ Letter of Instruction for Bagong Lipunan currency
- FALSE: November 15, 1985, WSJ issue says two-thirds of world’s gold is in PH
- HINDI TOTOO: May hatol ang ICJ tungkol sa ginto ni Marcos
- FALSE: International Criminal Court’s 1976 ruling on Marcos gold
- FALSE: AP YouTube video shows Marcos ordering banks to release his gold wealth
– Marjuice Destinado/Rappler.com
Marjuice Destinado is a Rappler intern. She is a third-year political science student at Cebu Normal University (CNU), serving as feature editor of Ang Suga, CNU’s official student publication.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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