A Facebook post shows Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense lawyers posing for a wacky group photo. This is fake and was created using artificial intelligence.
The fake post published on Oct. 15 carries the caption:
“Ito ang Wacky na feeling ni Kapunan binully sila🤣🤣🤣 #labanlang #VPSaraDuterte
(This is the wacky that made Kapunan feel they were bullied 🤣🤣🤣 #labanlang #VPSaraDuterte).”
The image shows the 13 members of Duterte’s defense team in her ongoing impeachment trial. A review of the image confirms key visual indicators of AI manipulation. The defense lawyers’ faces were lifted from the photographs taken during the Senate impeachment court hearing on October 13, where the prosecution panel withdrew three of the four impeachment charges against Duterte.
Additionally, the eyes of the members on the photo appear significantly enlarged and their hands were shaped irregularly, which are common hallmarks of AI-generated images.
VERA Files Fact Check ran the image through multiple detection tools to confirm the manipulation. Hive Moderation found the photo 24.3% likely to be AI-generated, while SightEngine scored it at 43%.
Meanwhile, both IsThisAI and DeepAI classified the image as synthetic, returning an “AI-edited” assessment with 99% confidence and a 99% AI likelihood, respectively. ImageWhisperer also classified the graphic as AI-generated. In contrast, WasItAI returned an outlier result, indicating that no AI was used in creating the image.
Despite the visual red flags, several social media users believed the post was genuine, leaving comments expressing relief and support:
“Halimaw sa bully ang defence team 🤣 I like it 😄😄😄😄😄👊 ma stroke na Ang mainggit.
(The defense team is a monster when it comes to bullying 🤣 I like it 😄😄😄😄😄👊 Let those who are envious have a stroke).”
“Kahit naka wacky desente pa din di tulad noon Isa grabe wacky naging chakie🤣
(Even when acting wacky, still decent, unlike the other one, wacky turned into chakie 🤣).”
“Enjoy lang Defense Team, urong-sulong ang kalaban, waaaahahahaaaaa!
(Just enjoy yourselves, Defense Team! The opponent keeps moving back and forth, waaaahahahaaaaa).”
On Oct. 13, the House prosecution panel withdrew three of the four impeachment charges (Articles I, III and IV) against her, leaving only the charge of unexplained wealth. And on Tuesday, it filed its formal offer of evidence on Article II.
The fabricated image surfaced two days after the original photo was publicized. The photos also surfaced after the House prosecution panel’s real wacky photo went viral, which drew a negative reaction from Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, calling it inappropriate.
Posted by FB page Kababayan PH with 883,000 followers, the post has so far garnered 3,034 reactions; 180 comments; and 57 shares.
