MALACAÑANG on Wednesday denied rumors that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been diagnosed with colon cancer, dismissing it as a blatant lie and a mere distraction.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro issued the statement after former Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. posted a photo of the president with a “square” image on his left thigh, seemingly a colostomy bag.
In a press briefing, Castro denied Roque’s allegation and described him as a “fake news peddler,” pointing to video footage of the same event.
“The problem is that these are just rumors and gossip — baseless claims that damage the government, tarnish the president’s reputation, and even affect the economy,” Castro said.
“If it only comes from Harry Roque, whom we can consider a purveyor of fake news, we have seen the full video, in which the president himself raises his hands while waving to our fellow citizens. It is evident that the image shown or claimed by Harry Roque is entirely false,” she added.
The Palace official urged the public not to believe such claims.
“We appeal to everyone: Let us not believe this and let us not include fake news peddlers like them in any discussion,” Castro said.
A colostomy bag collects waste (stool) from the body after surgery creates a new opening (stoma) in the abdomen, diverting the end of the colon, and is used temporarily to let the bowel heal or permanently for conditions like cancer or severe disease, allowing waste to exit into the pouch instead of the anus.
Marcos earlier took a brief pause from some public engagements and held private meetings after being diagnosed with diverticulitis, an inflammation of small pouches in the colon. He has since resumed his regular schedule and attended public events.
The president, who visibly lost weight after being on a soup-only diet, told the public that he was recovering well and that there was nothing to worry about. However, an alleged medical report circulated online days after his hospitalization, claiming that Marcos’ condition was worse than what had been publicly disclosed. Malacañang had dismissed reports that Marcos had undergone surgery for diverticulitis.