FACT-CHECK: Marcos Jr. is not a licensed pilot

CLAIM: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is a licensed pilot

RATING: FALSE

A netizen falsely claimed in a tweet last April 2 that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is a licensed pilot.

The erroneous tweet, which has been viewed more than 2,000 times, contained photos of the president inside an FA-50PH fighter jet.

Marcos was actually a passenger in a capability demo of the FA-50PH fighter jet on March 7, 2023.

He was in the second seat, but that did not make him a pilot.

“Matagal ko nang actually gustong gawin ‘yun pero hindi ako naging piloto kaya’t nag-take advantage na ako,” Marcos told reporters on March 8.

On his profile on the website of the Senate of the Philippines, Marcos Jr. did not list any course or degree related to aviation. Thus, he is not a licensed pilot.

While he is the commander in chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that includes the Philippine Air Force, it does not automatically make Marcos Jr. a pilot. – Shianna Manuel

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