Fake ‘Marcoleta ambush’ report circulates online, pins blame on Sotto

By Nikko A. Balbedina III
PressOne.PH

 

A coordinated wave of fake “breaking news” reports is spreading false claims that Sen. Rodante Marcoleta was ambushed in an attack allegedly orchestrated by Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, adding to the swirl of disinformation amid ongoing Senate rifts.

Why it matters: This latest wave of news-cycle disinformation shows how operators capitalize on political controversies to push false narratives and dominate online attention.

Such tactics not only mislead the public but also blur the line between legitimate political developments and manufactured crises.

What we found: Multiple Facebook pages and YouTube accounts posted fake “breaking” reports of a supposed armed ambush that targeted Marcoleta.

On Facebook:

• Several pages involved in spreading the false reports have previously been active in posting content supportive of the Duterte family, with some explicitly identifying as supporters of Vice President Sara Duterte or the Duterte family as a whole.
• One page identified in the campaign, named “Mācroletā Fānpāges,” uses accented letters in its name in an apparent attempt to bypass platform monitoring algorithms.
• Many posts featured the same graphics card showing Marcoleta against a backdrop of what appears to be a police or military operation, overlaid with text claiming: “Video sa pag-ambush kay Marcoleta hawak na ng awtoridad.”
• Clicking the link embedded in these posts redirects users not to a news source but to an online shopping page for a Korean-branded biscuit.

On YouTube:

• Multiple channels echoed the same false narrative using slideshow-style videos of Marcoleta’s photos from both his House and Senate stints. A narrator, sometimes AI-generated, delivers the fabricated report in a tone mimicking a news anchor.
• PressOnePH found that these videos spend only the first few minutes on the false report before replaying clips from a previously flagged channel that had fabricated debate wins to boost Marcoleta’s image.
• Despite claims that authorities possess video evidence of the supposed ambush, none of the posts provide any actual footage or verifiable sources.

What’s true: No credible news outlets or official sources have reported any ambush involving Marcoleta. 

• Neither the Philippine National Police nor the public information bureau of the Senate has reported any such incident.
• Marcoleta himself denied the claim in a post on his verified Facebook page, urging the public to report accounts that spread disinformation.

False breaking updates are warping the news cycle

In Depth: Fake ‘breaking news’ on YouTube muddle info on Senate, House power shift amid flood control mess

YouTube disinformation campaign inflates Marcoleta’s persona with imagined debate wins

For context: The false narrative plays out against the backdrop of an ongoing rift between Marcoleta, who once chaired the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigating flood control anomalies, and Sotto’s new Senate leadership.

• Sotto had earlier denied Marcoleta’s request to place contractor couple Sarah and Pacifico Discaya under the Department of Justice’s Witness Protection Program.
• Marcoleta also clashed with Senator Panfilo Lacson, who replaced him as chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee following the leadership shake-up on September 8.
• YouTube channels have been monitored by PressOnePH to exaggerate and inflate Marcoleta’s image as a maverick figure in the Senate.

Bigger picture: This fabricated “ambush” narrative follows a pattern observed in previous disinformation campaigns where false “breaking news” stories are used to draw attention to recycled political propaganda. We call this news-cycle disinformation.

• False narratives do not only attempt to stir political drama but can also redirect viewers to promotional or monetized content disguised as news.
• The spread of news-cycle disinformation risks distorting public perception of developments and key personalities, with possible implications for their standing ahead of the 2028 elections.

Spot the fake: Events as serious as an armed ambush targeting a national government official would inevitably be reported by mainstream news organizations both locally and internationally.

• Cross-reference reports with established news outlets and official channels, since incidents like these would be promptly covered and confirmed by authorities.
• Always verify sensational claims by checking credible news sources or official statements before sharing them.
• Be wary of posts linking to unrelated websites or online shops, a common sign of clickbait or coordinated disinformation tactics.

 

This report was made possible by an Internews project to build the capacity of news organizations in understanding disinformation and influence operations in the Philippines.