A viral video purporting to show former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte calling for support for his daughter Sara's vice presidential role and 2028 presidential bid has been identified as AI-generated. The footage, which lacks any disclosure of artificial intelligence use, has garnered over 133,000 views on social media. Fact-checkers used detection tools to confirm its fabricated nature.
The video, posted on December 3, features what appears to be Rodrigo Duterte addressing Filipinos with the overlay text 'PANAWAGAN NI DIGONG SA TAONG BAYAN,' meaning 'Digong’s appeal to the people.' In it, the figure says in Filipino: 'Mga kababayan, buong tapang kong ipinapanawagan ang inyong buong suporta sa aking anak na si Inday sa kaniyang tungkulin bilang bise-presidente at sa kaniyang pagtakbo bilang presidente ng Pilipinas sa 2028.' This translates to: 'Fellow countrymen, I boldly call for your full support for my daughter Inday in her role as vice president and in her run for president of the Philippines in 2028.'
The speaker also expresses fear for his life, claiming those who 'destroyed' his honor and freedom remain in power, and adds: 'Kaya buong-lakas kong iniiwan kay Inday ang responsibilidad na ituloy ang laban. Siya ang tatayo para sa bayan. Siya ang maniningil. Siya ang [mag]papanagot.' Meaning: 'So I wholeheartedly leave the responsibility of continuing the fight to Inday. She will stand up for the people. She will be the one to collect. She will be the one to hold them accountable.' Without an AI disclaimer, viewers have taken it as genuine, with one comment reading, 'Bring tatay home…yes tay,' receiving 42 positive reactions.
Detection tools verified the fabrication. Hive Moderation flagged it as 99.9% likely AI-generated or deepfake. Deepware Scanner’s Avatarify model detected 82% deepfake content, while Sight Engine assessed a screenshot as 98% AI, with 64% probability of creation using OpenAI's GPT-4o model. Notably, an International Criminal Court (ICC) logo appears behind the figure, referencing Duterte's arrest on March 11 in The Hague, Netherlands, for crimes against humanity related to his war on drugs. The ICC recently denied his appeal for interim release, citing insufficient conditions to address risks like evasion or recommission of crimes.
Vice President Sara Duterte has hinted at a 2028 presidential run prior to her father's arrest. In January 2024, she stated she would participate in the next election without specifying the position. By February, she admitted seriously considering the presidency, noting the Philippines' lag behind other Southeast Asian nations. She reiterated this at a March event in Hong Kong amid anticipation of her father's arrest upon returning home.
Rappler has previously debunked similar AI-generated content involving Duterte, including photos and videos portraying him in fabricated scenarios.