A clip showing a Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) graduate supposedly ignoring President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during a commencement exercise is circulating online. The video is incomplete and misleading.
Since April 30, several Facebook (FB) users have shared a 15-second clip showing a cadet seemingly skipping Marcos and shaking the hands of other government officials at the ceremony.
One of the posts carried the caption:
“WA KAILA SA Presidente?? Pakilala ka Kasi BBM. Ngayong na Invisible mana inyong BeBey-Em na but. an mana inyong Bebey-Em (Doesn’t he know the president? BBM, you should introduce yourself. Now BeBey-Em is invisible). PNPA CLASS OF 2025. CONGRATS.”
Another video bore the text:
“The G.O.A.T. PNPA Class of 2025. Greatest of all Time. BBM hindi kinamayan ng isang graduate student masakit BBM no na hindi kana ginagalang (A graduate did not shake BBM’s hands. BBM, it hurts that you are no longer respected?).”
These posts are misleading. The circulating clip does not show the complete scene and excludes the part where the cadet shook the president’s hands.
RTVMalacanang’s official YouTube channel live streamed the PNPA Sinaglawin Class commencement exercise on April 29. Marcos was the first in line of government officials during the distribution of diplomas and presentation of awards.
At the 1:30:28-minute mark, Marcos handed a diploma to the class “goat” or greatest of all time – a term for the cadet with the lowest ranking. The cadet shook the president’s hand after he received the diploma.
The circulating video showed only the part where the cadet was already acknowledging the rest of the government officials, including Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Jay Ruiz and PNP Chief Rommel Marbil.
The misleading posts started circulating a day after Marcos served as guest of honor and speaker in the commencement of the 206 cadets at Camp General Mariano N. Castañeda in Silang, Cavite.
VERA Files has debunked other mis- and disinformation related to the head of state.
Posts from at least six FB users have collectively garnered 11,592 reactions, 2,352 comments, 3,405 shares, and 2,289,000 views. A copy posted on TikTok by user @don.solid.vines has also garnered 118 reactions, 38 comments, 17 shares and 8,245 views.
