Metro Manila, Philippines – Malacañang has dismissed online rumors claiming a so-called energy lockdown.
“Fake news,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said in a Viber message to reporters on Friday, April 3.
The alert in question, which falsely carried the Department of Energy logo, urged the public to prepare power banks, solar equipment, flashlights, food, and other essentials.
Castro had already clarified during a March 27 press briefing that no energy lockdown was being planned, as the government continues to secure additional fuel supplies.
On Thursday, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported that the Iranian government has granted safe passage for Philippine-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a move expected to ensure steady delivery of oil and fertilizer supplies to the country.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has placed the Philippines under a state of national energy emergency through Executive Order No. 110, amid rising prices and supply risks due to the Middle East crisis.
