A Facebook page posted a video appearing to show Sen. Rodante Marcoleta saying he will push for online worship for the Iglesia Ni Cristo and asserting that people must obey him because he is a senator. The video is AI-generated.
Published on May 30, the fake video appears to show the senator being interviewed. In the clip, the senator can be heard saying:
“Isusunod ko na isusulong ang online na pagsasamba sa Iglesia. Dapat ako ang masusunod kasi senador ako”
(I will next push for online worship in the Iglesia Ni Cristo. My decision should prevail because I am a senator).”
The altered video clip was taken from the senator’s appearance on NET25’s live program Sa Ganang Mamamayan on May 29. In the one-hour show, Marcoleta, an INC member, did not make such a statement. Instead, he explained about his campaign donations and addressed discrepancies in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures.
He said the donations were from friends and had been used for election expenses. He also justified that the money had already been spent for his campaign, that is why it was not reflected in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, which later became the basis for the filing of plunder and perjury complaints against him by poll watchdogs and lawyers.
According to the official INC media website, the organization held online worship services only during the COVID-19 lockdown. Under normal circumstances, however, every member is required to attend in person at the nearest place of worship.
VERA Files Fact Check spotted some telltale signs that the video was created by AI:
- Marcoleta’s eye contact is unnatural. In the original video, the senator’s eyes blinked several times while talking. In the fake clip, his eyes blinked only once.
- The texture of the face is too smooth and synthetic.
- The voice sounds like a robot. It is not the senator’s real voice.
To further verify the video’s authenticity, VERA Files Fact Check ran it through the Hive Moderation, an AI-detection tool. Results from Hive Moderation indicated that the video and the audio are both likely AI-generated.
The INC senator is facing plunder and indirect bribery charges before the Office of the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan has issued a Precautionary Hold Departure Order against him.
The AI-generated post surfaced after Marcoleta appeared as a guest on a NET25 program. The senator previously proposed an amendment to the Senate rules to allow remote participation in plenary sessions and voting. Critics viewed it as a move to allow Sen. Bato dela Rosa to join the Senate proceedings via video conferencing while in hiding.
The spurious video published by FB page Mr. OFW (created on Dec. 30, 2025) garnered 380 reactions; 168 comments; 77 shares; and 18,000 views.
