politics
Viral Post on Photocopied Peso Bills Follows Supreme Court Ruling on Evidence but Remains Illegal Tender per Central Bank
A July 7 post citing a statement from Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial spread the claim that photocopied banknotes can be used as legal tender. Rappler reported the post gained thousands of reactions before the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and court records clarified the context.
Jul 9, 4:48 AM·1m read1 source
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The post, made by user Jack Barry Antonio Badz in a group for Senator Rodante Marcoleta, had received more than 3,700 reactions, 800 comments, and 300 shares by July 9. Ligutan made the statement on the second day of the trial while addressing objections to printed screenshots.
National Bureau of Investigation Senior Agent John Mark Calilung had presented an affidavit containing those screenshots to show a preservation request filed with Meta.
Defense lawyer Carlo Narvasa objected to the documents, prompting Ligutan to reference a 2025 Supreme Court ruling. The Supreme Court held that a photocopy qualifies as a duplicate under Rule 130, Section 4(c) of the 2019 Revised Rules on Evidence and may be admitted as the original when no genuine questions exist about authenticity or when use of the duplicate would be unjust or inequitable.
The ruling addressed evidence in court proceedings.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas stated that photocopied banknotes are not legal tender. Under BSP Circular No. 829, s. 2014, only the central bank or its authorized representative may produce or disseminate legal tender, and unauthorized reproduction carries a prison term of five to ten years.
