Man caught with tabloids containing fake news on suspended Marikina mayor
Follow our 2025 Election Live Updates here.
A police officer questions a man who was allegedly caught handing out copies of a tabloid, which contains reports against suspended Marikina Mayor Marcy Teodoro, on the morning of election day, May 12, 2025. — Contributed photo
[Updated May 12, 2025, 8:14 p.m.]
MANILA, Philippines — Marikina City police arrested a man allegedly caught handing out copies of a purported tabloid that contains reports against incumbent Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro on election day.
The reports alleged that Teodoro had been disqualified from the 2025 elections and that votes for him would not be counted.
However, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has yet to uphold its final ruling on the matter.
According to a report from the Marikina City Police Station, the suspect was caught behind the voting center at the Leodegario Victorino Elementary School in Barangay Jesus dela Peña.
“The arresting officers were conducting, patrolling… when they chanced upon the suspect in the act of distributing SAKSI Tabloid containing propaganda,” the police report said.
It added that the person was carrying 259 pieces of the tabloid.
“During the height of investigation, it was learned that the suspect is a resident of Sampaloc, Manila and he was recruited by his neighbor to distribute the said tabloids at the alluded place and promised to receive a compensation of P1,200,” the report noted.
READ: Ombudsman suspends Marikina City mayor, other city officials
Marikina City police identified the suspect as 30-year-old Marvin Bucaycay.
He was detained at the Marikina City police’ male custodial facility.
In a chance interview later on Monday, Teodoro said the suspect underwent inquest proceedings.
Teodoro’s camp filed a charge against him for unlawful electioneering, a violation of the Omnibus Election Code.
READ: Marcy Teodoro would still be included in ballots – Comelec
Police have yet to disclose details about the author of the tabloid article.
For his part, in a message to reporters on Monday, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said, “Naglipana po ang fake news ngayon. Isa po yan sa mga tulad nito.”
(Fake news proliferates today. That’s one of the examples of it.)
Teodoro was suspended by the Ombudsman last March over allegations that he misallocated P130 million in Philippine Health Insurance Corporation funds.
Last December, Comelec canceled Teodoro’s Certificate of Candidacy over material misrepresentation regarding his address.
Teodoro filed a bid to run for Marikina’s 1st congressional district seat.
However, poll body chief George Garcia said Teodoro’s name would still be included in the ballots pending a “final and executory ruling.”
‘Black propaganda’
In the same interview, Teodoro decried the tabloid article as “black propaganda.”
“It’s fake news to mislead people astray in their decision-making. This may be the only way they saw to get people not to vote for me.,” he said in Filipino.
When asked about whom he believed to be behind the effort, without dropping names, Teodoro said, “Our political rivals. I believe that because there’s no one else with the same motive but our political rivals.”
But, when pressed for a name, he added, “It appears to be our rival group. Not just one candidate, it may be a group of candidates from the other party. That’s my opinion. I’m not saying it’s definitive or real.”
Teodoro’s main opponent is term-limited Sen. Koko Pimentel.
In a message to INQUIRER.net on Monday evening, Pimentel said in Filipino, “That’s rather not in my personality.”
Meanwhile, Teodoro’s wife, Maan, is running for the mayoralty against incumbent Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo.
When asked if she was involved with the effort, in a chance interview earlier on Monday, Quimbo said, “Absolutely not. Marikeños are smart, so absolutely no reason to spread fake news when it comes to that. Maybe, it’s just their camp behind it to gain sympathy among voters.”/das/abc/apl/mr
