A YouTube video claims Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) newly released a P500 bill bearing the face of former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. This claim is fake.
Posted on Jan. 9 and shared on Facebook (FB), the video bore the headline:
“OMG! BAGONG PERA NG PILIPINAS INILABAS NA (NEW BANKNOTES OF THE PHILIPPINES NOW RELEASED)! NEW PHILIPPINE BANK NOTES AND COINS.”
The thumbnail featured the following:
- a photo of the supposed P500 bill with the face of the late dictator;
- an image of a P5,000 Lapu-Lapu commemorative bill; and
- a photo of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with BSP Governor Felipe Medalla during the Dec. 7 presentation of new Philippine banknotes.
Superimposed on the thumbnail was the same text: “BAGONG PERA NG PINAS INILABAS NA (NEW BANKNOTES OF THE PHILIPPINES NOW RELEASED)!”
The P500 Marcos Sr. bill is fake and has been circulating online since 2019. It is not included in the newly printed banknotes bearing Marcos Jr. and Medalla’s names, released by the BSP in December.
The current P500 bill still features the portraits of former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and former president Cory Aquino.
The P5000 Lapu-Lapu banknote is not new either. It is a commemorative banknote issued in 2021 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Lapu-Lapu’s victory in Mactan. AFP Fact Check has debunked a similar claim.
The video itself only contained Radio Television Malacañang clips of the new Philippine banknotes presentation and Marcos Jr.’s speech on Dec. 7.
Several netizens fell for the erroneous post. Some thanked the BSP and Marcos Jr. for the supposed change and asked for the bill’s release date.
The video by the YouTube channel MAVS TV (June 4, 2020) garnered 128,484 views. A TikTok user reposted the thumbnail garnering 170 reactions, 45 comments and 5,791 views.
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