A Facebook page posted a video of former Ako Bicol Party-list representative Zaldy Co taunting Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, saying the latter talks as if he knows everything about him. This is AI-generated.
The video was originally published with a disclaimer that it was generated using artificial intelligence “for entertainment and satire purposes.”
The one-minute, 28-second clip of a man resembling the voice of fugitive Co can be heard in the video saying:
“…Itong si Jonvic kung magsalita ay parang napakarami niyang alam tungkol sa akin; kung nasaan daw ako, kung may ari-arian daw ako sa ibang bansa, at kung ano pang haka-haka. Pero sa totoo lang, puro espekulasyon lamang ang lahat ng kanyang sinasabi at wala naman siyang maipakitang konkretong ebidensya para patunayan ang kanyang mga paratang. Ginagawa niya lamang ito para may maipakitang ulat sa kanyang amo, at magmukhang magaling sa kanyang mga press conference.
Ang totoo, wala naman talaga siyang malinaw na impormasyon. Nagpapabango lamang siya sa mga taong gusto niyang mapabilib. Kaya nga pati video na kumakalat na diumano ay nahuli ako sa Czech Republic ay halatang pilit na propaganda at fake news lamang para linlangin ang publiko. Hindi nila alam, matagal na akong nakaalis bago pa nila malaman ang lugar at bago pa sila makarating sa custodial area na kanilang sinasabi.
Jonvic, tandaan mo ito: hindi ninyo ako basta mahuhuli dahil hindi ako magpapahuli at hindi rin ako basta-basta uuwi ng Pilipinas sa ganitong sitwasyon. Babalik lamang ako sa tamang panahon. At kung darating man ang puntong ako’y makulong, hindi ako mananahimik. Marami akong nalalaman at handa akong ibunyang ang tunay na mastermind sa flood control project scandal kapag kinakailangan. Sa huli, katotohanan pa rin ang mananaig.
(…This Jonvic, when he talks, seems to know so much about me; where I am, if I have properties in other countries, and other speculations. But in truth, everything he says is just speculation, and he has no concrete evidence to prove his accusations. He is only doing this to have something to show his boss and to look good in his press conferences.
The truth is, he doesn’t really have any clear information. He’s just trying to impress the people he wants to impress. That’s why even the video circulating that I was allegedly arrested in the Czech Republic is clearly just forced propaganda and fake news to deceive the public. They don’t know, I had left long before they even knew the location and before they reached the custodial area they are talking about.
Jonvic, remember this: you won’t easily catch me because I won’t let myself be caught, and I won’t just go back to the Philippines in this situation. I will only return at the right time. And if the time comes that I get imprisoned, I will not remain silent. I know a lot and I am ready to expose the true mastermind behind the flood control project scandal when necessary. In the end, the truth will prevail).”
The supposed former lawmaker appeared to be speaking in a living room with a painting hanging on the wall.
Some of the FB users in the comment section seem to believe the post, saying Co has a point. Other users left comments, saying it is created using Artificial Intelligence.
A review of Co’s official FB page revealed no similar videos posted. The former lawmaker has not shared such videos on any of his social media accounts, where a series of his confession videos were posted, accusing President Ferdinand Marcos and former House speaker Martin Romualdez of orchestrating the alleged insertion of P100 billion worth of flood control projects into the 2025 national budget.
According to Remulla, Co is now staying in a luxurious property along Champs-Élysées Boulevard in Paris. On April 28, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro reported that the former lawmaker was no longer in the custody of the Czech Republic and was reported to be seeking political asylum in France.
VERA Files tapped the Deepfakes Analysis Unit of the India-based Trusted Information Alliance to check if a video and its audio were manipulated using AI.
Hive Moderation AI-detection tools, specifically their AI audio classifier and AI deepfake detector, revealed that 70 seconds of the audio track were classified as “AI-generated,” and a few frames from the clip showed signs of AI tampering.
However, results from another Hive Moderation tool—the AI image classifier—showed only a 7.5% likelihood of a deepfake, while SynthID indicated the clip was not made with AI.
To verify further, DAU ran the audio through Aurigin AI and Hiya Audio Intelligence. Aurigin AI revealed that the audio was “partially AI-generated,” while Hiya flagged the audio as AI-modified.
Additionally, VERA Files Fact Check noticed unnatural pronunciation of Filipino words in the fabricated clip, such as “nagpapabango.” A closer look showed that the eye contact also appeared unnatural, looking in only one direction.
Following his alleged involvement in a massive flood control corruption scandal, the former chair of the House appropriations committee has been the subject of an arrest warrant since 2025. Co has been staying overseas despite the Sandiganbayan’s arrest order for graft and misappropriation of public funds.
The AI-generated video was reposted to create the impression that Co was taunting Remulla. This occurred after Remulla directed the Philippine National Police to intensify its nationwide manhunt for fugitives, including Co.
As of writing, the fabricated post by FB page Bayan ni Juan (created on ) garnered approximately 3,000 reactions; 149 comments; and 837 shares.
