A supposed photograph of Sen. Risa Hontiveros showing her stepping down from a jeepney is circulating on Facebook. This is fake and was generated using artificial intelligence.
Originally published on March 16, the now-deleted post by an FB user with over a million followers carried the caption:
“Kung Leni Robredo sumakay ng tricycle
Ito si Risa Hontiveros ay sumakay ng jeep..
Ito ang may malasakit sa bayan [laughing emojis]
(If Leni Robredo rode a tricycle, this is Risa Hontiveros riding a jeepney. This is someone who truly cares for the nation.)”
At least five FB pages reposted the fake photo on March 17. One retained the original caption, while others paired it with authentic images of Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo riding a tricycle, former senator Mar Roxas driving a pedicab, and Sen. Kiko Pangilinan planting rice. Notably, one page shared all four pictures in two FB groups of Duterte supporters.
In a March 17 advisory, Hontiveros debunked two posts that featured what she labeled “fake news, AI-generated” photos, asking netizens to report them to Meta.
The lady senator pointed out that the AI-generated image used in the FB posts was based on her outfit of cream embroidered sleeveless blouse and beige pants worn during her March 17, 2025 interview.
A closer inspection also reveals that Hontiveros’ brownish, side-parted hair in the 2025 interview has been altered into reddish, pulled-back hair in the AI-made photo.
There is also two visual evidence that the graphic was created using AI: the logo of Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, appears on the lower right corner of the image and the sign board of the jeepney reads “Manila Express” instead of its route, which is the usual case for public utility vehicles.
Results from AI detection tools, Hive Moderation and SightEngine, show that the photo is 99.9% likely created using AI.
The synthetic photo surfaced after Robredo, a political ally of Hontiveros in the opposition, faced criticism for a photo of her riding a bus to Manila, which some dismissed as staged and a publicity stunt. (RELATED: FACT CHECK: ‘Bus photoshoot’ of Leni Robredo EDITED)
The original AI-generated photo by an FB user, which was taken down, had amassed 33,000 reactions; 11,800 comments and 571 shares as of March 17. Other copies, including the ones reposted by pages Street Photography (created Dec. 6, 2021) and Engr. Jaydee (created as Angkol Talks by Engr. Jaydee on Apr. 13, 2022), have collectively garnered 6,203 engagements as of writing.
