Hoax or Reality? Audio Deepfake of Marcos Jnr Raises Tensions with China

A recording, including an "audio deepfake" of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instructing his military to take action against China, has raised significant alarm among government officials in Manila. They have cautioned that this might potentially impact the country's foreign policy.

The altered audio contains the synthesized voice of Marcos Jr., stating that he has instructed his troops to "take action" in the event of an assault by China on the Philippines. He further expresses his determination to prevent any harm to Filipinos caused by Beijing.

A deepfake refers to the creation of synthetic media through the use of artificial intelligence, wherein a person's facial features or voice are substituted with those of another individual.

The voice in the manipulated tape, allegedly disseminated through a YouTube channel with a substantial following, asserts that we should not endanger any individual in our pursuit to safeguard our legitimate possessions. The voice was complemented by a slideshow of photographs of Chinese vessels in the South China Sea.

The video emerges amidst escalating hostilities between Manila and Beijing as a result of their recurrent conflicts in the South China Sea.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) issued a public admonition on Tuesday night, affirming that the altered media in question was completely fabricated.