(July 6, 2022) – A vlogger who is a staunch supporter of the family of President Bongbong Marcos Jr. claimed that the late dictator and his kin were kidnapped when they were brought to Hawaii in 1986.
This claim is false.
CLAIM:
YouTube vlogger “Sangkay Janjan TV” posted a video showing the arrival of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in Hawaii in 1986. He claimed this was the “actual video” of the kidnapping of the Marcoses after their ouster from Malacañang.
“Nadali po sila. Ang akala nila, dadalhin sila ng mga Amerikano roon sa Ilocos Norte kaya nga lang ang nangyari ay sa Hawaii (sila dinala),” said the vlogger, known as John Anthony Jaboya in real life.
The start of the clip, which was part of his 20-minute vlog, showed Marcos walking after their plane landed. The vlogger then immediately claimed that the late dictator was “distraught,” implying that this was proof that they were kidnapped.
“Aligaga pa po siya at kapansin-pansin dito na ready na ready ‘yung mga Amerikano,” said the vlogger. “Makikita niyo sa mukha ni Ferdinand Marcos na talagang, ‘Bakit ganito?’ Parang tila ba natulala siya sa nangyari. Bakit ready (na) ready ‘yung mga tao sa Hawaii o mga officials doon sa pagdating niya?”
Similar videos and posts were also shared by netizens on other social media platforms. Some of these posts can be accessed here, here, and here.
RATING: False
FACTS:
Claims that the Marcoses were kidnapped when they were brought to Hawaii are no longer new. As early as February 1986, the Associated Press (AP) published a story that interrogated these claims.
Citing the official account of the United States (US), AP said Marcos indeed requested to be flown to Laoag in their hometown of Ilocos Norte, but President Cory Aquino turned this down. Air Force Brig. Gen. Theodore Allen helped relay the information to Marcos, according to the report.
“Allen had to go to Marcos’ top aides to tell them about the change of itinerary. They went into the bedroom where Marcos had been sleeping and came out a half-hour later and said, ‘OK,'” read the report, citing an official who spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity.
It also wrote: “If Marcos was forced to come to the United States, he certainly made no complaint about it when he first arrived.”
Marcos was at Clark Air Base when he made the request, according to a report by the New York Times. His camp then took off for Guam before arriving at the Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu aboard a US Air Force transport plane. It was estimated that Marcos’ entourage included around 90 individuals.
The short clip presented in the vlog, showing the arrival of the Marcoses, matches a portion of a documentary by Hawaii News Now in 2019. It also had a related article.
Alexandria Ng, the writer of the report, mentioned how the administration of US President Ronald Reagan became instrumental in allowing the Marcoses to seek asylum. Reagan’s offer was also reported by the Chicago Tribune and the New York Times in 1986.
“With a country on the brink of bloodshed and former supporters rioting against Marcos, the United States stepped in. President Ronald Reagan urged Marcos to leave and guaranteed him asylum if he came to the United States,” read the article in Hawaii News Now. “Marcos knew he had to take the offer.”
In the documentary, Marcos was greeted by then-Hawaii Gov. George Ariyoshi and his wife upon arrival. Air Force Gen. Robert Bazley, the former commander in chief of the Pacific Air Forces, was also there to welcome the exiled dictator, as reported by The Washington Post.
Ariyoshi, who held a press briefing, said Marcos was “in good spirits” when they met for an hour.
“In the version relayed by Ariyoshi, it was the Marcos family—eager to stay together—that vetoed the plan (to go to Laoag) and persuaded the president to come to the United States,” added the report of AP.
Authorities in Hawaii also worked with the Reagan administration in providing security to the Marcoses, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
“(White House spokesperson Larry) Speakes emphasized that Reagan’s offer of ‘safe haven’ extended to transport out of the Philippines and subsequent asylum and protection for Marcos’ followers—but did not mean the US would foot the bill for their stay in this country,” read the report.
WHY THIS MATTERS:
“Sangkay Janjan TV” did not present any concrete proof regarding his claim that the Marcoses were kidnapped in 1986. He merely made conjectures based on his observations of a short clip yet presented it as the “actual video.”
Since its posting last June 18, the vlog has gained 46,000 likes and more than 342,000 shares. His YouTube channel has around 996,000 subscribers.
Jaboya is an official of a newly formed group of vloggers looking to gain access to Malacañang. Media experts have sounded the alarm that this could lead to more propaganda and disinformation in support of the Marcoses.
It was also not the first time that the “kidnapping” claim was flagged by the media. Altermidya, a member of Facts First PH, fact-checked a TikTok content that showed spliced videos to echo the claim that the Marcos family was kidnapped when brought to Hawaii.
News5 is part of #FactsFirstPH which brings together various sectors that are committed to promoting truth in the public space, and exacting accountability on those who harm it with lies. For those interested to join the initiative, e-mail info@factsfirst.ph. Message News 5’s Facebook page if you want to have any claims fact-checked. Read our fact-checking policy here.
