Pinoys are an imaginative and curious bunch. We can’t help it! It’s no wonder we have our share of crazy conspiracy theories passed down from generation to generation. From cat meat in siopao to that smelly SM Sta. Mesa basement during the Ondoy typhoon — check out these conspiracy theories in the Philippines that are so interesting, they’ll draw you down a rabbit hole.

SM Sta. Mesa basement during Ondoy

“Circa 2009, maraming namatay sa basement ng SM Sta. Mesa nung Bagyong Ondoy. Hindi lang nabalita,” wrote one Redditor. They said that to prevent the water from rushing to the mall’s upper levels, staff had to close the basement. It’s believed that many people were unable to flee to safety and died from drowning.

“Father’s side is mostly based in Sta. Mesa since the 1940s and rumors like these tend to float around talaga. SM Sta. Mesa stank like high hell for the next few months to a year after Ondoy, and honestly kahit ilang renovations ang ginawa nila, it still smells & feels different kapag nasa grocery kami,” said another Redditor.

LRT snatchers

Ever thought of why there are a lot of snatching incidents in LRT and MRT? One Redditor believes that thugs have a mutually beneficial agreement with the police at the expense of innocent civilians. “Yung mga snatchers sa LRT are allowed and they actually pay the police a ‘pass money’ para makaakyat sila and do their thing (snatch phones, bag, etc),” said the Redditor.

According to rumors, this scheme been going on for years now. The Redditor continues, “Well, tito is a policeman (chief) that was once stationed in manila, siya may handle ng LRT part. When nalagay siya sa pwesto doon, ganon na daw yung gawain at hindi niya daw basta basta mababago kasi ganon yung tradition. Being an honest police, the only remedy he can do is ‘limit’ to max. of only 7 goons per day ang pinapapayagan umakyat sa LRT. Years din siya doon na duty then nalipat na siya sa campo after. So there, wala talagang safety.”

Random fires

Rumor has it that whenever a squatter’s area is on fire, the landowner wants to get rid of the informal settlers so they can erect a building. Notice an abundance of fires needing to be put out?

Siopao cat meat

Remember back in the mid-2000s when you were afraid to eat siopao because many believed it was made of cat meat or wet cartons? That conspiracy theory has never been proven, but we guarantee it might’ve hurt siopao sales.

Puting van kidnappers

At this point, the white van conspiracy theory has struck fear in the hearts of every Pinoy at the sight of any white van slowing down near them. It’s the vehicle of choice for fictional kidnappers we see in teleseryes, why not for IRL goons? The belief is that these evil men drive around in white vans and kidnap people to harvest their organs and sell them. Is there truth to this? Maybe. But better be safe than sorry, right?

National ID

There are dozens of conspiracy theories about the Philippine government but one that might frustrate you is this Redditor’s theory about our National ID.

“You know those delayed national IDs? They weren’t delayed; the information we gave was just used for something else. What could that thing be? Votes. The National ID registration recorded our fingerprints as well as our names (plus irises), two things needed to register new voters,” they wrote.

Bridges require child sacrifice

One Redditor believes that to construct bridges with firm foundations, builders sacrifice kids. “Yung sinasabi nila na pag may ginagawang tulay, nagaalay sila ng dugo ng mga bata para tumibay daw yung foundation,” they wrote.

“Nung una, di ako naniniwala. Pero naalala ko nung highschool ako, may ginagawang tulay somewhere sa Las Piñas. Major project ng mayor. Tuwing pumipila ako sa tricycle station ng village namin na medyo malapit dun sa project site, tumitingin ako sa bulletin board. May nag post ng missing na isang bata. First time ko makakita ng missing post ng bata sa bulletin board dun,” they added.

We’re going to think of this every time we see new bridges being built.

Grace Poe’s father

This conspiracy theory has been going around for decades. Poe is the adoptive daughter of actors Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces but many believe she is Marcos’ daughter.

Intrigued? Go down the rabbit hole and read more interesting conspiracy theories from this Reddit thread.

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