As the conflict in the Middle East heated up, a news report was shared on Facebook warning residents in Ilocos Norte and Cagayan province to be cautious about a rocket launch by China. This is misleading.
The clip was actually taken from an old report that had no connection whatsoever to any world conflict.
Posted on June 23, the reel featured a report from Brigada News FM Manila with an overlaid text that read:
“Pray for pilipins. Kasalanan mo ‘yan BBM puro ka Duterte ang Gulo na ng mundo Puro ka pa rin Duterte.”
In its caption, the user also claimed that the Marcos family had already evacuated to Japan because they allegedly knew what was about to happen to the Philippines because of the current “war” among countries. It further stated:
“imbis Na atupagin mo ang mg Pilipinos at ofw naipit sa gulo naatupag mu parin DUTERTE DUTERTE”
A closer look at the clip reveals that the news report was aired on May 20, 2025, the day the Chinese rocket Long March 7A was fired.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council did not warn of any conflict related to that launch. It only advised residents to remain alert for possible debris that could scatter in nearby waters and coastal areas of the two provinces during the rocket’s discard phase.
In an advisory, the Philippine Space Agency also urged residents to avoid retrieving or approaching any debris due to possible toxic substances such as rocket fuel. The public was advised to immediately report to local authorities any suspected debris found on land or at sea.
Long March 7A, launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province, was only carrying a communications satellite designed to provide telecommunications, data transmission, and broadcast services. There is no announcement of another imminent rocket launch from China.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Marcos went to Osaka, Japan to visit the Philippine Pavilion featuring the artwork of Filipino weavers on June 20 at the World Expo 2025. They returned to the country two days later.
The misleading video appeared at a time of heightened violent conflict between Israel and Iran, as the two countries traded military strikes since early June.
Posted by Facebook user Lg Yow Montano (created Nov. 9, 2019), the reel has garnered 929,000 views, 8,800 reactions, 7,300 shares, and 902 comments.
