FACT CHECK: No demand from World Bank, SC for Marcos’ resignation

Claim: The World Bank and the Philippine Supreme Court have demanded the resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and for Vice President Sara Duterte to replace him.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: As of writing, the claim has garnered 5,600 reactions, 3,400 comments, and 344 shares. It was posted on March 2 by the page “Filipino Fame Hub,” self-described as a media company, which has 34,000 followers. 

The post features an image of Marcos and of Duterte seemingly taking an oath before the Supreme Court. Text superimposed on it reads: “Hinatulan si BBM, World Bank at Korte naglabas ng ultimatum, VP Sara manunumpa na!” 

([Bongbong Marcos] has been sentenced, the World Bank and Supreme Court issued an ultimatum, VP Sara to be sworn in!)

A link to an article titled, “SC Hatol: VP Sara Wagi sa Impeachment Case ­­– PBBM ‘Well’ at Nasa Pwesto” (Supreme Court Verdict: VP Sara won the impeachment case ­­– PBBM ‘well’ and in his position) is attached to the comment section for further discussion about the alleged news. 

The same image was used as a thumbnail in a YouTube video posted by “Pinas News Insider,” which has 1.2 million subscribers. The video, which has over 70,000 views, implies that the alleged demand for Marcos’ resignation is due to the country’s poor economy.

The facts: Marcos has not been removed from office, and he is still serving as president of the Philippines. Some of his most recent engagements include welcoming South Korean President Lee Jae-myung to Malacañang for a two-day state visit, signing several agreements to deepen cooperation on defense, technology, and agriculture sectors.

Amid resurfacing rumors about the President’s health, Malacañang has also assured the public that Marcos is “well, healthy, and working even on a Saturday.”

Contrary to the claim, there are no reports that the World Bank or the Supreme Court issued any ultimatum demanding the President’s removal from office.

Furthermore, a sitting president cannot be removed from office through a Supreme Court order. According to Section 2, Article XI of the 1987 Constitution, the president may be removed from office through impeachment, and the House of Representatives has the exclusive power to initiate all cases of impeachment. (READ: FAST FACTS: How does impeachment work?)

Impeachment case: In January 2026, two impeachment complaints were filed against Marcos. The first complaint,  filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus, sought to remove Marcos from office for allegedly enabling the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte on an International Criminal Court warrant. The petition also cited Marcos’ alleged illegal drug use and accused him of mishandling the overall national budget.

The second complaint, filed by the Makabayan bloc, accuses Marcos of betrayal of public trust.

On February 4, the House justice committee dismissed the two impeachment complaints against Marcos, finding them insufficient in substance. On February 10, the House of Representatives approved the committee report junking the two complaints, effectively securing Marcos a one-year immunity from impeachment.

According to the 1987 Constitution, “no impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year.” It means no new complaint against Marcos can be filed until January 2027. – Vien Ysabelle Nerona, Princess de Jesus/Rappler.com

This fact check was written by a group of students under the Social Media Dynamics class of Mr. Patrick Ernest Celso from the University of Santo Tomas. It was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor.

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