Several videos circulating online claim that National Bureau of Investigation senior agent John Mark Calilung, the prosecution’s first witness in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, has been arrested. This is false.
From July 10 to 12, four YouTube channels uploaded videos making similar claims that Calilung had been jailed. The videos’ thumbnails featured similar elements, including images of Calilung, members of the prosecution panel, Duterte’s defense team and senator-judges.
The text in one of the thumbnails read:
“KULONG NA! NGAYON LANG! NBI WITNESS! ARESTADO NA
(Jailed! Just now! NBI witness! Arrested)!”
The videos also carried similar titles that contained altered characters substituted for certain words. The title of the most viewed video stated:
“KINARMA NA! JUST IN: MATINDING UT0S (sic) NG SENAD0 (sic) PERMAD0 (sic) NA! WALA NG TAKAS! NB1 (sic) W1TNESS (sic) ARESTAD0 (sic) NA!
(Karma has struck! Just In: Major Senate Order Signed! No Escape! NBI Witness Arrested)!”
No credible reports from the government or mainstream media show that Calilung has been arrested. The videos did not present any evidence to prove their claims and showed instead a commentary by a pro-Duterte vlogger and an interview of lawyer Salvador Panelo.
A clip of Sen. Alan Cayetano saying, “Ipapakulong kita, Mr. Witness, pag nagsinungaling ka under oath (I’ll have you jailed, Mr. Witness, if you lie under oath)” was used in the beginning of the two videos. Cayetano made the remark only as part of a hypothetical scenario to illustrate the conditional nature of the threat made by the vice president.
Contrary to the claim that the Senate ordered his arrest, Calilung was permitted to leave the plenary hall on July 8 after he was cross-examined by defense counsel Mark Vinluan.
The false videos surfaced after the first week of Duterte’s impeachment trial, during which the parties tackled the threats she made against President Ferdinand Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos, and former House speaker Martin Romualdez. The vice president is also facing allegations of misusing millions of pesos in confidential funds, bribery, and unexplained wealth.
As of writing, the clips published by YouTube channels POLITICAL PH TV (created July 26, 2020), BANAT NEWS UPDATE (created Oct. 27, 2024), PHILIPPINES TRENDING NEWS (created Dec. 10, 2014), and BOY SARDINAS (created Jan. 13, 2020) have collectively amassed 130,400 views; 6,765 likes, and 526 comments.
