Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro on Sunday denounced those spreading “fake news” about a recently uploaded photo of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, challenging critics to present verified evidence to prove the image was edited.
The photo in question was posted on the First Lady’s official Facebook page on Saturday, March 22, showing her in a blue dress at a dining table during a regular meeting of the Asian Cultural Council held at Pangarap Clubhouse, Malacañang Park, Manila, on March 21.
Following online claims that the image may have been digitally altered, Castro defended the authenticity of the photo, saying critics “know nothing” about the meeting.
“Those who usually criticize are those who are not privy to any meeting. What can we expect from those who know nothing? Madaling magpretend na [it’s easy to pretend] as if they know everything,” Castro said.
“It is better to challenge these fake news vloggers/bloggers to show their own verified evidence that will counter that photo,” she added.
Castro also reiterated that the First Lady was not detained in the U.S., addressing earlier rumors. She confirmed that Liza Marcos had a working visit to the United States from March 5 to 8, where she attended the Meeting of the Minds and the Manila International Film Festival in Miami and Los Angeles.
On March 15, the First Lady returned to the public eye, personally leading the awarding ceremony at Go Negosyo’s Women Summit 2025, which recognized top women entrepreneurs in the country.