Pro-Duterte remarks falsely attributed to Philippine news anchor
"Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte/Father Digong did not start the war to kill, he started it to save," reads part of a lengthy March 15, 2025 Facebook post with more than 24,000 shares.
It ascribes the quote to De Castro, a longtime anchor at Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN and a former vice president of the country. The post includes a screenshot of De Castro during his nightly programme TV Patrol (archived link).
"Duterte is gone, and the drug problem is coming back. Crime is rising again. Ask yourself was he really the problem, or was he the only one brave enough to fix it?" the post goes on to say, before ending with a call to bring the 79-year-old former leader home.
Image
Screenshot of false Facebook post taken on March 25, 2025
Similar Facebook posts surfaced after Duterte's stunning arrest and swift transfer to the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to face charges linked to his anti-narcotics campaign (archived link).
Rights activists say tens of thousands of mostly poor men were killed in his government's crackdown, often without proof they were linked to drugs.
"Very well said, Kabayan Noli De Castro," read a comment in one of the circulating posts, using De Castro's nickname and indicating the user believed the remarks were his.
"You're right, sir Noli De Castro. He really is like a father to us. He's old, he doesn't deserve this type of stress anymore," another wrote.
But the veteran broadcaster never made the supposed statement.
ABS-CBN shared a post from De Castro's Instagram account on March 17, where he shared screenshots of the posts stamped with text that said "FAKE" (archived links here and here).
Image
Screenshot of Noli De Castro's Instagram post taken on March 26, 2025
The same post was also shared on De Castro's Facebook page (archived link).
A reverse image search found the photo in the post was taken from a segment of a March 14, 2025 broadcast of ABS-CBN's evening news programme TV Patrol (archived link).
At the 59:41-mark of the hour-long newscast, De Castro introduced the report and can be heard saying in Tagalog: "For the first time, the International Criminal Court released details about former president Rodrigo Duterte's charge of crime against humanity, which became the basis of his arrest."
Nowhere in the segment -- or in the entire newscast -- did he make the supposed remarks shared in the false posts.
Image
Screenshot comparison of the false post (left) and the March 14 TV Patrol segment (right)
AFP has debunked pro-Duterte misinformation flooding social media following the former president's arrest.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
2 hours ago
- LeMonde
Boat for Gaza: La France Insoumise rallies support for Rima Hassan
Breaking the Israeli blockade was the goal of the MADLEEN sailboat crew, whose journey was cut short off the coast of the Gaza Strip. The 12 pro-Palestinian activists on board, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and MEP Rima Hassan of the left-wing France Insoumise party, were delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. During the night of June 8 to 9, Israeli naval commandos intercepted the vessel about 31 nautical miles from the Palestinian enclave, redirecting it to the port of Ashdod in southern Israel. During the day, while the 12 activists – six of whom are French – were handed over to Israeli police, the French embassy requested consular access to visit them to ensure their well-being and prepare for their prompt return to France. This marked the second time Hassan had been expelled from Israel: On February 25, she was denied entry upon arrival at Ben-Gurion Airport. While the humanitarian mission failed, the activists' communications campaign proved successful. This was especially true for Hassan, who had been at the forefront of the media battle since the boat departed Italy eight days earlier. At regular intervals, she provided updates on the expedition's progress while warning of alleged threats facing the vessel and its crew. This dramatic narrative received wide attention on social media and was supported by the entire La France Insoumise movement from the first days of the MADLEEN's journey toward Gaza.
AFP
2 hours ago
- AFP
Video shows Huthi fighters' drill, not ambush on Pakistan army
"Chanting Allahu Akbar, BLA (Baloch Liberation Army) blew up the Pakistani army convoy," reads in parts the Hindi-language Facebook post shared on May 27, 2025. The video shows a column of vehicles moving through a desert region when one of them suddenly explodes. The footage spread with similar claims on Facebook and X after gunmen killed 26 people in an attack on tourists in Pahalgam in India-administered Kashmir on April 22, which New Delhi blames on its neighbour. Islamabad denies the charge (archived link). Four days of tense fighting broke out between the nuclear-armed foes in May -- claiming over 70 lives on both sides -- before they agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire (archived link). Image Screenshot of the false post taken on June 5, 2025 The BLA is one of several separatist groups that accuse outsiders of plundering the Balochistan province's natural resources, and has been blamed for attacks in Pakistan. Fighters from the group attacked a train with 450 passengers on board in March, sparking a two-day siege during which dozens of people were killed (archived link). In another attack, BLA rebels targeted a security vehicle with an improvised explosive device, killing seven Pakistani soldiers on May 6 (archived ). Some users have linked the false video to "Operation Sindoor" -- India's name for its strikes on Pakistan. "Balochistan too is probably running Operation Sindoor in Pakistan," one user commented. Another wrote, "Indian people don't worry, we will continue operation Sindoor until we get our freedom." But the original video actually shows an exercise by Huthi rebels in March 2024 in Yemen. A Google reverse image search on keyframes from the false video led to a longer version that Saudi-owned TV station Al Arabiya uploaded on its YouTube channel on March 10, 2024 (archived link). The video is captioned: "Watch: Huthi group conducts military manoeuvres simulating the storming of Israeli sites and targeting American and British forces". Image Screenshot comparison of the false post clip (L) and the video uploaded on Al Arabiya's YouTube channel An Arabic logo appearing at the bottom right corner of the YouTube video led to longer footage posted on Yemeni Military Media's X account on the same day (). Visuals at the 32:11 mark of the X post correspond with the clip shared in the false posts. The X post also contains a link to a report that Yemeni Military Media -- an outlet affiliated with the Huthi movement -- uploaded on its website, which shares the same video (archived link). AFP has debunked other misinformation stemming from the India-Pakistan conflict here.
Euronews
20 hours ago
- Euronews
Stephen King puts Trump vs Musk feud into perspective with savage post
It's the headline-grabbing breakup that continues to see tensions rise between Donald Trump and former ally Elon Musk – with the pair continuing to throw jabs at one another on thier owned channels X and Truth Social. One bombshell blow included the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claiming that Trump is featured in the Jeffrey Epstein files, alleging that was the reason they had not been made public. Musk also asked his 220 million X followers whether it was time 'to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle'. The entertainment world has commented on the end of the bromance and many have started comparing the bitter fallout to the cult comedy Mean Girls. 'Watching Trump and Elon go all Regina George/Mean Girls on each other is entertaining,' one wrote online, as another added: 'Like two teenagers airing their dirty laundry online.' The Mean Girls comparison has been going viral, with many creating memes with frames from the film. Now, acclaimed author Stephen King has added his name to the celebrities commenting on the spat, issuing a scathing and sobering critique. Rather than take sides, the outspoken Trump critic put the argument into perspective by saying: 'Couple of billionaires having a hissy little catfight. Who gives a shit? The world actually has problems.' The author of "It" and "Carrie", whose works have been widely adapted to film and television, has not been shy when it comes to calling out both Trump and Musk. Last year, King accused Musk of spreading political misinformation, informing his X followers about how the "Musk-man has posted 3,000 times on Twitter in the last month". "Most are pro-Trump disinformation and lies," King wrote, adding: "Remember, he has skin in the game. Consider his posts accordingly." The horror icon had previously announced he was leaving X in the aftermath of Trump being reelected US president. However, in February this year, he came back to the social media platform to share with his 6.8 million followers: 'I'm baaaack! Did you miss me?' before adding: 'Just wanted to say that Trump is a traitorous, Putin-loving dipshit! Goes double for Elon!' Oscar-winning American actor and Thirty Seconds From Mars frontman Jared Leto has been accused of sexual misconduct by nine women. In a report published by Air Mail, multiple women accused the 53-year-old star of Fight Club, Requiem For A Dream, Dallas Buyers Club and Suicide Squad of inappropriate behaviour. The allegations date back to the early 2000s, with one woman calling it 'an open secret' that he texted sexual remarks to teenage models. Allegations against Leto emerged last month, when DJ Allie Teilz shared an old Facebook post, written in 2012, on her Instagram Story. 'Youre [sic] not really in L.A. until Jared Leto tries to force himself on you backstage… In a kilt.. And a snow hat. I was assaulted and traumatized by this creep when I was 17,' she wrote. In separate story, she added: 'He knew my age and didn't care. What he did was predatory, terrifying and unacceptable.' One woman told the publication that in 2006, when she was 16-years-old, Leto approached her outside a Los Angeles café. She claimed Leto was sat with fellow actor Ashley Olsen – who was then 19 – and he had grabbed her arm. 'I looked down and it was Jared Leto,' she told Air Mail, adding: 'We had a quick conversation, and he got my number.' She went on to say that Leto called her home a few days later, recalling: 'I don't know if he was on drugs or what … It was the weirdest, grossest voice … [but] for me, it's Jared, you know?' 'And the conversations turned sexual,' she continued. 'He'd ask things like: 'Have you ever had a boyfriend? Have you ever sucked a dick?'' Model Laura La Rue came forward with similar claims, saying that when she was 16-years-old in 2008, she was at an event in a private residence in Beverly Hills where Leto was 'watching her so intensely'. 'He asked how old I was. I said, 'I'm 16. How old are you?'' La Rue told Air Mail. Leto, who was 36 at the time, then reportedly asked for her number. The two began an email correspondence, which resulted in her visiting Leto's home in April 2009, the outlet alleges. 'I remember him teasing me the whole time I was there,' La Rue said, adding: 'He was flirting with me. He'd lean in close, then pull away, like it was a game.' She described a separate visit when she was 17 years old, where she alleged Leto walked out of a room completely naked. 'He just walked out, dick out, like it was normal… I thought maybe this was just what adult men do,' she said. Another woman who spoke to the outlet said that she and Leto began texting while she was still underage. She alleged he would ask her inappropriate questions during her visits to his house, including 'Do any of the little boys you hang out with fuck you?' The woman alleged that once, when she was 18, Leto had 'suddenly pulled his penis out and started masturbating'. She told Air Mail: 'He walked over, grabbed my hand, and put it on him. He leaned in and said: 'I want you to spit on it.'' A representative of Leto has 'expressly denied' the multiple accusations reported in the Air Mail exposé, saying the claims were 'demonstrably false'. This is not the first time that Leto's behaviour has been questioned and called out. Similar claims were made in 2005, when The New York Post shared a story with the opening line: 'Jared Leto likes 'em young' after he had been spotted with Olsen and Lindsay Lohan. At the time, sources told the publication he had been 'aggressively pursuing many of the teen models shacked up at the Maritime Hotel'. In 2018, Metro reported on a Twitter post made by Dylan Sprouse, who is married to model Barbara Palvin. The post read: 'Yo @JaredLeto now that you've slid into the DMs of every female model aged 18–25, what would you say your success rate is?' Guardians Of The Galaxy and Superman director James Gunn replied to Sprouse's tweet at the time, saying: 'He starts at 18 on the internet?'
