A photo featuring First Lady Liza Marcos and Miss Universe 2023 Sheynnis Palacios has been manipulated to label Marcos as “Miss Smuggler.”
The altered image was posted on the PROTECT VICE PRESIDENT SARA DUTERTE Facebook group on May 7 by a user named Shifukato Kashichikikuteka and captioned “Bad Shot.”
A Google reverse image search revealed that the original image was taken during Palacios’ courtesy visit to the First Lady on May 6 at her office inside the Palace compound in Manila.
The original photo posted on Instagram by Marcos shows her not wearing a white sash. She had written in the post:
Happy to meet reigning Miss Universe Sheynnis Palacios before she wraps up the Manila leg of her Asian tour.
Thank you for sharing the beauty of the Philippines with the universe! 🌏 ✨
In the original photo, only Palacios is wearing a sash. InVID and WeVerify’s fake news debunker forensic tool revealed tampering in the image, with the sash attached to Marcos being the most detected discrepancy.
The “Miss Smuggler” label references the alleged involvement of Marcos' brother, Martin Araneta, in onion smuggling. The First Lady has denied these allegations.
The Facebook group has 126,748 members. As of writing, Kashichikikuteka’s post has garnered 706 reactions, 440 comments and 159 shares, with 469 HAHA reactions being the highest. Notably, the comments are largely negative toward Marcos.
The post was also shared to another public Facebook group MAGNINIYOG PILIPINAS, which has 1,300 members.
Shifukato Kashichikikuteka primarily shares posts in support of former President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte. (MC)