Malacañang has denied allegations that First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos was detained by law enforcement during her recent trip to the United States, calling the claims baseless and untrue.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro addressed the speculation in a statement to reporters on Thursday, stating:
“There is no truth that the First Lady was held by any law enforcer while in Los Angeles or in any other place.”
This clarification comes after several Facebook posts falsely alleged that Araneta-Marcos was detained in Los Angeles, linking her to the death of businessman Juan Paolo Tantoco, who passed away on March 9, 2025, in the U.S. from an undetermined cause.
The First Lady’s Itinerary & Return to Manila
Araneta-Marcos was in California from March 5 to 8 to attend the Meeting of the Minds and the Manila International Film Festival, which kicked off on March 4.
She returned to Manila as scheduled, arriving at around 5 a.m. on Monday, March 10.
“At 5:58 a.m., she was already on her way to her place from the airport,” Castro confirmed in a Viber message to the press.
Further proof of her presence in the Philippines surfaced when, on March 11, Araneta-Marcos posted on Facebook about turning over a donation check to the Girl Scouts of the Philippines at her office in Manila.
Addressing the Misinformation
The Palace’s swift response aims to quash the online misinformation that falsely tied the First Lady’s trip to Tantoco’s death.
Authorities have yet to release official details regarding the businessman’s passing, but officials emphasized that Araneta-Marcos’ visit was a planned working trip with no connection to the incident.
