FACT CHECK: Did New Zealand’s Prime Minister Say Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Is ‘The Solution To Every Crisis The World Faces’?

An image shared on Facebook claims New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Ferdinand “BongBong” Marcos Jr., a candidate in the Philippines’ upcoming presidential election, is “the solution to every crisis the world faces.”

Verdict: False

There is no evidence Ardern made the statement attributed to her in the post. A spokesperson for the prime minister’s office said the alleged quote is “clearly fake.”

Fact Check:

Marcos Jr., the son of former Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is running for president in the Philippines, according to Rappler. Recent polling from December 2021 indicates he is the favorite to win the upcoming presidential election, the outlet reported.

An image shared on Facebook claims Ardern voiced her support for Marcos Jr. It features an image of the prime minister along with an alleged quote from her that reads in part, “I am impressed on how BBM will lead his country He could easily pay the debts of his country and lend gold to other nations. He is the solution to every crisis the world faces.”

BBM is an acronym used to refer to Marcos Jr., according to his website. (RELATED: Does This Video Show New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Smoking?)

There is no evidence Ardern made such a statement. It does not appear in any of her press releases or on New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs and Trade website. Ardern’s verified Twitter and Facebook pages do not show any posts expressing support for Marcos Jr.

A spokesperson for the prime minister’s office told the Australian Associated Press in an email that “Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern did not make that comment and the post is clearly fake.”