Latest news with #SebastianDuterte
AFP
10 hours ago
- Politics
- AFP
Philippine politicians share AI-generated interviews supporting VP Duterte
The video -- published on June 14, 2025 on TikTok -- appears to show three students criticising the vice president's impeachment during street interviews. They can be heard saying in Tagalog that the attempt to remove her from office is "politically motivated" and "singling out the vice president". It has been viewed over 590,000 times and has spread elsewhere on the platform. Senator Ronald Dela Rosa -- who served as the Philippines' police chief under former president Rodrigo Duterte -- and Davao City's incoming vice mayor and Sara Duterte's brother, Sebastian Duterte, also shared the clip, saying it shows she has the youth's support. Image Screenshots of the AI-generated video shared by Dela Rosa and Sebastian Duterte, taken on June 16 The House of Representatives passed a resolution on June 11 certifying that the impeachment trial against the vice president complied with the constitution, after days of wrangling in the Senate that had raised fears the trial process was headed for derailment (archived link). The House impeached her in early February on charges of graft, corruption and an alleged assassination plot against one-time ally and former running mate President Ferdinand Marcos. The Philippines' 24 senators will serve as jurors and decide whether she should be removed from office. But the interviews show signs they were made with AI. A closer inspection of the footage shows a "Veo" watermark on the lower right-hand side of the frame -- a video generator platform from Google DeepMind (archived link). The app's website says its latest version allows users to "add sound effects, ambient noise, and even dialogue" to generate audio natively. Image Screenshot of the AI-generated video with the "Veo" watermark highlighted A reverse image search shows the clip was originally published on a Facebook page called Ay Grabe (archived link). A review of the Facebook page shows similar AI-generated video clips bearing the same watermark. The page, which posted content showing support for the Marcos-Duterte tandem in the 2022 presidential vote, describes itself currently as one that "features ideas, opinions, news, stories and events through the use of AI" (archived link). Image Screenshot of the AY GRABE Facebook page and similar AI-generated clips it has published. The video also bears errors commonly seen in AI-generated images. Text on the clothing, vehicles and signage on storefronts shows random letters and characters that do not form an actual word. The hair and teeth of the interviewees look overly smooth. In one shot, vehicles can be seen moving in opposite directions alternately. Image Screenshot of visual details in the AI-generated image highlighted in red by AFP AFP has previously debunked misinformation about Duterte's impeachment here and here.
Arab News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Detained Philippines ex-President Duterte poised to win mayoral race in his home city
Despite his detention thousands of miles away in the International Criminal Court, former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte appeared to have been elected as mayor in his home city by a landslide, according to preliminary results on Tuesday. At least five candidates backed by his family were also among those leading the race for 12 Senate positions, in a stronger-than-expected showing in Monday's midterm elections. Pre-election surveys had indicated only two of them would emerge victorious. The results come as a boost for Duterte's daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, ahead of an impeachment trial in the Senate in July over a raft of charges including alleged misuse of public funds and plotting to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife and the House speaker. Sara Duterte is considered a strong contender for the 2028 presidential race. But if convicted by the Senate, she will lose her job and be disqualified from holding public office forever. To be acquitted, she needs at least nine of the 24 senators to vote in her favor. The official election results will be known within a week. But the partial and unofficial count by election watchdog Parish Pastoral Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting showed Duterte garnering more than half a million votes in his stronghold Davao City, nearly eight times more than his closest rival. His youngest son, Sebastian, the incumbent mayor of Davao, is also leading the unofficial vote count in the race for Davao vice mayor. His eldest son, Paolo, who is seeking reelection as a member of the House of Representatives, and two grandsons in local races were also in the lead, in an indication of the family's continued influence. 'Duterte landslide in Davao!' his youngest daughter Veronica posted on Facebook. Duterte, nicknamed 'the Punisher' and 'Dirty Harry,' served as Davao's mayor for two decades before becoming president. He has been in the custody of the International Criminal Court since March, awaiting trial for crimes against humanity over a brutal war on illegal drugs that left thousands of suspects dead during his 2016-2022 presidency. The impeachment and Rodrigo Duterte's arrest and transfer to the tribunal in The Hague came after Marcos and Sara Duterte's ties unraveled over political differences and their competing ambitions. Duterte supporters slammed Marcos's government for arresting and surrendering the former leader to a court whose jurisdiction his supporters dispute. Under Philippine law, candidates facing criminal charges, including those in detention, can run for office unless they have been convicted and have exhausted all appeals. Sara Duterte had told reporters after voting on Monday that she was in talks with her father's lawyers on how he could take his oath as mayor despite being behind bars. She had said the vice mayor, widely expected to be Sebastian, would likely be the acting mayor.
BBC News
11-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Philippine election 2025: Millions vote in midterms as Marcos-Duterte feud heats up
Rodrigo Duterte: A political comeback from ICC prison Image source, Getty Images Former President Rodrigo Duterte may be detained in The Hague thousands of miles away, but in his hometown of Davao City in the southern Philippines, he is poised to make a political comeback. His name remains on the ballot and he is tipped to reclaim the post he held for decades before he became president in 2016. His youngest son Sebastian (the current mayor) is running as his vice-mayor. If father Rodrigo and son Sebastian win, city hall will remain in the family, as it has for almost four decades now. Sara served as mayor there when her father was president. Davao is a sprawling metropolis known for its durians and eagle sanctuaries - and Sara's political propaganda casts her as the 'eagle from the south'. It is also where the Dutertes showcased their tough anti-crime policies, which they say made the city attractive to investors. But critics and human rights groups say Davao City is the birthplace of Duterte's death squad, accused of summarily executing hundreds of drug suspects. That is the backbone of the crimes against humanity charge that the Duterte patriarch is facing before the ICC. Read more about Rodrigo Duterte here.
