FACT CHECK: No announcement of energy lockdown; video is AI-generated

Claim: A news report warned Filipinos to prepare for a possible “energy lockdown” due to the ongoing crisis in the country’s power supply.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook video making the claim has 7 million views, 138,000 reactions, 32,000 shares, and 8,200 comments, as of writing.

The claim was posted by the Facebook page, “Pinoy News Channel,” which describes itself as a news and media website “using AI tools for the content.”

The video shows supposed news anchors along with the caption, “Paalala! Posibleng i-lockdown ang bansa dahil sa national energy emergency! Manatiling naka-antabay para sa mga updates.” 

(Reminder! The country may be placed under lockdown due to a national energy emergency! Stay tuned for updates.)

The post also directs users to click a link supposedly containing a list of affected areas under lockdown.

The facts: While President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of national energy emergency on March 24 due to rising global oil prices amid the Middle East conflict, there are no announcements of a looming “energy lockdown.”

In a press briefing on March 27, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro assured the public that no energy lockdown is expected at the moment. She said the government is preparing to avoid worst-case scenarios if tensions persist in the Middle East.

“Sa ngayon, ito po talaga ay pinaghahandaan ng Pangulo, pinaghahandaan ng administrasyon kaya ayaw po natin na mapunta doon sa worst-case scenario. So, kaya nga ngayon po, sa pagtutulungan na rin po ng lahat ng ahensiya ng gobyerno especially DOE and DFA na naghahanap po talaga tayo ng sources para po iyong supply ng petrolyo ay hindi mahinto at magtuluy-tuloy po para sa ating mga kababayan,” she said,

(Right now, the President is really preparing for this, the administration is preparing for this, so we don’t want to end up in the worst-case scenario. So, that’s why now, with the cooperation of all government agencies, especially [the Department of Energy] and [the Department of Foreign Affairs], we are really looking for sources so that the supply of petroleum will not stop and will continue for our countrymen.)

Asked about a possible energy lockdown, Castro said, “Sa ngayon po, as we speak, wala po tayo nakikita.”

(For now, as we speak, we do not see an [energy lockdown.])

AI video and phishing link: AI detection tool Undetectable flagged the video as 84% likely created by AI. The links included in the post, which supposedly lead to a list of areas under lockdown, do not lead to official government sources.

The first link redirects users to an online shopping platform, while the second link leads users to an unofficial blog site that may expose them to phishing risks. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing) 

Government measures: Amid global oil supply concerns due to the Middle East conflict, Marcos assured Filipinos that the country has enough crude oil supply and that the government is exploring measures to mitigate the impact of the conflict on fuel prices. He added that authorities are focusing on providing immediate aid for those affected by rising transport costs. 

On March 30, the Department of Energy said the Philippines’ current fuel inventory can now last up to 50.9 days, slightly longer than the previously reported 45-day supply. – Owenh Toledo/Rappler.com
Owenh Toledo is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.