Amid anti-corruption protests across Metro Manila and other parts of the country on Sept. 21, a video posted on Facebook claims to show a massive crowd of Duterte supporters at the “Liwasang Bayan”. This is false.
The video was taken at a running event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2024, not in the Philippines. It is totally unrelated to the rally of the supporters of former president Rodrigo Duterte which was held at Liwasang Bonifacio, not “Liwasang Bayan”.
Published on Sept. 21, which also marked the 53rd anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law in the country, the FB reel featured a large crowd mostly wearing green and supposedly chanting “Duterte!”
The overlaid text on the 15-second erroneous video read:
“Kaganapan ngayon sa Liwasang Bayan Dinagsa ng Duterte Supporter.“
A reverse image search revealed that the video was taken last year at the Dubai Run in Sheikh Zayed Road which was part of the city’s annual month-long fitness challenge.
NA Lounge, a YouTube channel, uploaded the original video on Nov. 25, 2025 with the title “Mairathen in dubai #dubai #burjkhalifa #travel #globalvillage”.
In the original clip, the crowd was shouting “Good morning, Dubai.” The false FB reel edited the audio to make it sound like the people are chanting in support of Duterte.
Attendees wore light green because it was the event’s official color, as shown in an Instagram video that featured the guide on how to collect the T-shirt for the running event. It had no connection to the Dutertes.
The Dubai-based English newspaper Gulf News posted a compilation video of the Dubai event from different angles.
The same clip also circulated last year with the wrong context.
The false video appeared after Duterte supporters staged a protest at Liwasang Bonifacio on Sept. 21. A smaller group of the Duterte die-hards also gathered near the EDSA Shrine, separate from the major mass demonstrations organized by progressive groups at the People Power Monument and Rizal Park.
Posted by Facebook user Ka’abs (created Nov. 15, 2023), the incorrect video has so far garnered 2.5 million views, 23,300 reactions, 2,200 comments, and 3,300 shares. Another Facebook user, King luxs (created Nov. 2, 2022), reposted the video and earned 3.1 million views, 115,000 reactions, 9,900 comments, and 16,000 shares.
