Several Facebook posts claim that Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. expressed alarm over the Philippines supposedly being the next target of Iran’s attacks. This is false.
While the Department of National Defense monitors the ongoing geopolitical tensions between Iran, the United States, and affected Middle Eastern countries, Teodoro has made no such statement regarding an imminent threat to the country.
Both published on March 2, the clickbait posts bear the thumbnail text:
“IRAN NEXT PILIPINAS.”
One of the dubious posts also has a caption that reads:
“Gibo Teodoro is reportedly on edge as whispers circulate that the Philippines could become a target amid Iran-US-Israel tensions. National defense circles are now buzzing after recent missile exchanges in the Middle East triggered government contingency measures and heightened alerts for Filipinos abroad.”
The Philippines is not a participant in the ongoing conflicts, DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said on March 2 through the Philippine News Agency.
In an FB statement on March 1, the DND reassured Filipinos that the tensions are confined to the Middle East and that no credible direct threat to the country has been monitored.
The department cautioned the public to remain vigilant against online disinformation that could trigger widespread panic.
The posts spread days after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran retaliated by launching missile attacks on Middle Eastern countries with U.S. military bases, including Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Syria, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
Andolong clarified that the country has no U.S. military bases and that the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement sites, mistakenly identified as U.S. facilities, are under Philippine control. “They do not belong to the United States, nor are they being used to launch or stage assaults against another country,” said Andolong in a March 2 statement posted on FB.
The post’s thumbnail featured a collage of photos of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, beside him is Teodoro, shown speaking at a microphone. A smaller, inset photo of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appears to the right.
To appear authoritative and alarming, the thumbnail further displays the official seal of the DND, lending a false sense of official backing to the claim. The background features a blurred image of explosions or fire, reinforcing the next-target-for-attack narrative. Meanwhile, the photo of Marcos used suggests it is AI-generated. Marcos’ hair and skin appear unnaturally smooth, while the tears on his face come from the middle of the eyelid rather than his tear ducts.
The false posts by FB pages Bagong Umaga News (created June 9, 2025) and Pinoy Star Buzz (May 4, 2025) have so far garnered 665 reactions; 712 comments; and 214 shares.
