FACT CHECK: No report of Indonesian President confronting, scolding Marcos - Rappler
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Claim: Indonesia’s president publicly confronted and scolded President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., telling him to “fix yourself and your country.”
Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube channel “PINAS BALITA TV” with 175,000 subscribers published a video bearing the title: “GRABE NA! NAKAKAH1YA TO! IND0NESIAN PRESIDENT HARAPANG SINUP4L-P4L at NA-REALTALK si BEBE EM?” (This is too much! How embarrassing! Indonesian President confronted and engaged BBM in real talk?)
The video’s thumbnail, posted on October 17, 2026, shows an enraged Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto pointing directly at the President’s face before press microphones and cameras.
In the video’s original thumbnail, the uploader claimed that the Indonesian leader told Marcos to “fix your country and yourself,” though this line has since been edited out as of writing.As of writing, the video has garnered 3,100 views and 234 likes.
The facts: No credible news reports or official footage confirm that Indonesia’s Subianto confronted or publicly engaged Marcos in real talk before the press.AI image detectors IsThisAI reveal that the thumbnail of the video is 99% likely to be AI-generated. Meanwhile, SightEngine flagged it as 87% likely to have used generative AI, and TruthScan estimated an 85% edit probability with high confidence.“The background crowd appears to be cloned or manipulated, showing unnatural repetition patterns. Shadows on the subjects’ faces and clothing are inconsistent, further suggesting digital editing,” the TruthScan findings said.
Lack of evidence: The video contains no footage, audio, or documentation of any confrontation. Instead, the content features an unidentified male commentator reacting to a third-party social media post.
The commentator compares how both governments address climate challenges — particularly El Niño — contrasting Indonesia’s reported distribution of water pumps with the Philippine government’s recommendation to collect rainwater using buckets. The commentator heavily criticized the administration’s suggested solution.Existing ties: Diplomatic ties between the Philippines and Indonesia remain stable as of writing. Both countries held bilateral meetings in 2024, and Marcos, along with First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, formally welcomed President Subianto during the opening ceremony of the 48th ASEAN Summit held in Cebu in May 2026.
Marcos also traveled to Jakarta to attend Subianto’s presidential inauguration in 2024.
Lyndee Buenagua is a Metro Manila-based journalist who primarily covers Bicol and Baguio. She is also an alumna of Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024.
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