MANILA -- The Cybercrime Investigation  and Coordinating Center (CICC) on Monday dismissed speculations that a country is behind the 'deepfake' audio of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that circulated online recently.

The manipulated audio was designed to sound as though the President was authorizing the use of force against China amid tension in the West Philippine Sea.

READ: PCO, other agencies probe Marcos 'deepfake' audio

"Hindi siya bansa, definitely," CICC's Deputy Executive Director Asec. Mary Rose Magsaysay said in a televised briefing.

"So, obviously tao siya, you don't run after a whole country. You have to really find out, kung sino iyong taong gumawa niyan, kung ano ang ginamit niyang plataporma," she added.

Magsaysay also said the release of the deepfake audio had nothing to do with ongoing Balikatan Exercises between the Philippines, United States, France and other partner countries.

The activities include maritime drills and exercises in the West Philippine Sea.

"For the creation of this one, is nagkataon lang na nandito sila. But, it's not because of the Balikatan," she said.

"Everybody in the cyber world that the bad people, they like to hit on governments, kasi it makes them famous, iyon ang nakikita ko diyan. So, it would also be nice na ganito nga ang nangyayari, ilabas na para whatever it is, makakuha siya ng limelight something or whatever," she added

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The CICC is currently working with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on the investigation and is handling the digital evidence of the case.

"So, ang resources po ng dalawang ahensya, of course the mother agency, DICT and CICC is now working towards validating kung saan talaga nanggaling ito, sino ang gumawa, ano ang mga ginamit na platform. So, there is a lot of validation that goes through it," she said.

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