A photo posted on Facebook shows former president Rodrigo Duterte with his four children a day before his 81st birthday. This is fake and made using artificial intelligence.
In the photo published on March 27, Duterte’s birthday, the former leader is hugged by Vice President Sara Duterte, and her siblings Paolo, Sebastian and Kitty (Veronica) inside a private plane.
The caption reads:
“Kasama ni Tatay Digong ang kanyang dalawang prinsipe at dalawang prinsesa. Napakaganda ninyong pagmasdan, mag-ama magkakasama. Mahal na mahal talaga nila ang kanilang Tatay Digong. Bukas na pala birthday niya. Advance happy birthday po Tatay Digong
(Tatay Digong is with his two princes and two princesses. You are a beautiful sight to behold, father and children together. They truly love their Tatay Digong very much. It turns out his birthday is tomorrow. Advance happy birthday, Tatay Digong).”
The background of the photo is the interior of a private plane but it is impossible that the family is inside an aircraft. The former president has been in the detention facility of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands since March 2025. Photographs are disallowed in ICC premises.
Results from AI-detection tools Hive Moderation and Sight Engine show a 99% likelihood that the image is AI-generated.
A closer look at the clip also reveals details that look out of place, one being the former president’s nails with red polish like those worn by Kitty. Another is Paolo, a congressman, wearing a Barong Tagalog with the House of Representatives pin, while his siblings are in casual clothes.
And Davao City Mayor Sebastian has tattoos on his neck and more on his arm, based on a latest photo taken April 12 unlike in the fabricated image of the Duterte family reunion.
As of writing, the post published by three FB users has generated 219,643 reactions, 8,100 comments, and 3,800 shares.
This fact check was produced with the help of a journalism student from Bicol University as part of their internship at VERA Files.
