Francis Leo Marcos, popularly known as FLM, is a Filipino entrepreneur, philanthropist, and internet personality who was born in Baguio, Philippines, on September 29, 1979. He is well-known for his 2022 Senate campaign and for starting the Mayaman Challenge social media craze.
Sir Francis Leo Marcos, who is he?
The moniker “Francis Leo Marcos, an online personality who police think is Norman Mangusin in real life, arose again after he was detained and proved to be associated with other problems and scandals.
The National Bureau of Investigation detained Marcos on Tuesday for allegedly breaking the amended Optometry Law of 1985, commonly known as Republic Act 8050, by selling unlicensed eyeglasses in Baguio City.
Victor Lorenzo, head of the NBI’s Cybercrime Division, claimed that Marcos distributed eyeglasses without first receiving consent and authorization from trade associations.
He continued by saying that the NBI is also looking into additional allegations made against the online personality, including certified human trafficking at a court in Manila and abuse against women and children in a court in Nueva Ecija.
Lorenzo mentioned that Marcos is also being looked at by various bureau sections and that there are still pending estafa complaints concerning the internet personality.
Leo Marcos: What happened to him?
Francis Leo Marcos, 42, is a well-known internet celebrity with more than a million YouTube followers “In the Mayaman Challenge, he mocked the wealthy for not giving to the needy while portraying himself as a successful businessman.
Additionally, Marcos asserts a relationship to the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, whose family has denied this. The National Bureau of Investigation claims that Norman Mangusin is his real name.
He was detained by the NBI on May 19, 2020, for selling glasses in Baguio City without a license in violation of the Optometry Act. According to the NBI, it is also investigating complaints of violence against women and children in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, as well as arrest warrants for human trafficking from 2006. Marcos asserted that individuals outraged by his Mayaman Challenge were the only ones targeting him.
Charges of identity concealing and violating the Passport Law were added to the list of accusations against Marcos. He had a number of estafa cases open, according to the NBI.
The Securities and Exchange Commission warned the public about organizations using the names Francis Leo Marcos or Norman A. Maguisin that were soliciting donations from the general public without being registered with the SEC or holding a license or accreditation from the Department of Social Welfare and Development. These organizations were falsely claiming to be registered corporations with the SEC.
The SEC specifically advised the public to avoid Filipino Family Club International Inc., a charity that is involved in requesting donations for “shady humanitarian endeavors, but it does not adhere to the Philippines’ Solicitation Permit Law or the Revised Omnibus Rules on Public Solicitation.
The NBI believes that Marcos’ present Senate campaign is being funded by donations received through the foundation. Marcos claims that his allies and online followers founded the charity, while he has denied any involvement.
Marcos is running for the Senate a second time. Because he was under the 35-year-old minimum age threshold stipulated by the 1987 Constitution, he was excluded from the 2013 elections by the Commission on Elections.
He is running on a program that emphasizes agriculture, healthcare, economic development, eradicating poverty, and education.