MANILA, Philippines — The digitally altered “polvoron video” that falsely shows President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. snorting what appears to be cocaine wasn’t just fake — it was part of an alleged coordinated effort to discredit the President and destabilize his administration, a House inquiry revealed Tuesday.
During a hearing led by Rep. Romeo Acop, social media personality Vincent Cunanan, better known online as “Pebbles,” testified under oath that former presidential spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque played a key role in plans to circulate the manipulated clip.
Cunanan detailed a private dinner that followed the Hakbang ng Maisug rally in Hong Kong on July 7, 2024. At that dinner, he said, Roque allegedly brought up the idea of releasing a fabricated image of the President to damage his reputation.
“When I arrived at the restaurant, that [photo] was the topic,” Cunanan recounted, referring to the video later released by US-based vlogger Maharlika during a Maisug event in Los Angeles on July 22 — the same day as President Marcos’ State of the Nation Address.
Both the Philippine National Police and independent fact-checkers have since confirmed that the video was generated and enhanced using AI to falsely resemble the President.
‘Magaling ako magpabagsak ng gobyerno’
In his affidavit, Cunanan claimed Roque boasted during the dinner: “Nagkamali sila. Magaling ako magpabagsak ng gobyerno.” (They made a mistake. I’m good at bringing down governments.)
The group allegedly discussed ways to release the deepfake via a foreign content creator or journalist to give it “international credibility.”
“They floated the idea of getting an international blogger, or even the Australian reporter who interviewed the President, to release it,” Cunanan said. “But nothing was finalized.”
He clarified that no image or video was shown at the time, but Roque led the conversation and strongly implied he had compromising material.
When asked if the video’s release was part of a broader destabilization plan, Cunanan replied, “Yes, I think that was their plan.”
Maharlika’s Advance Tip
Cunanan also testified that Maharlika — who first published the viral deepfake — appeared to have advanced knowledge of its contents. Days before the video dropped, she messaged him describing the President’s supposed green outfit in the clip and urged him to support the narrative.
A clearer version of the video was uploaded on August 25, allegedly sourced from an earlier, low-quality file. Cunanan, who monitored the Vancouver rally where it was shown, confirmed Roque’s visible presence onstage.
“The person in the original video didn’t even resemble BBM,” he emphasized. “I’ve known him for a long time — it was clearly a fabrication. They blurred the raw clip, used AI to make it more convincing, and then enhanced it for release.”
Pressed on who he believes was behind the video’s creation, Cunanan responded, “Not just Atty. Harry Roque. I don’t know exactly who else — but definitely not just him.”
As of press time, Roque has yet to respond to the allegations raised during the hearing.
