Fact Check: AI-Generated Photo Fuels False Claim of Duterte's Return to PH

Several social media posts have circulated claiming that former president Rodrigo Duterte has returned to the Philippines, accompanied by photos purportedly showing his arrival at a Philippine airport. However, these claims have been debunked, with the accompanying photos identified as AI-generated. A Facebook reel uploaded by user “Capricious December” on September 20 shows a man resembling Duterte at an airport arrivals area, accompanied by figures resembling his children Paolo, Sara, and Kitty Duterte, and partner Honeylet Avanceña. The post has over 154,000 views, 8,500 reactions, 519 comments, and 469 shares as of writing. Its caption states: “Welcome home Tatay Digong! W3 (We) love you.” The same photo was posted by user “Roden Vhs” on September 17 in the Facebook group “Sara Duterte Supporters.” As of writing, the post has over 2,800 reactions, 355 comments, and 122 shares, with a caption stating: “Magagalit na naman si ante kler nito. Tatay Digong pauwi na ng Pilipinas.” (Palace Press Officer Claire Castro will be angry again. Digong is returning home to the Philippines.) Comments on the posts show that many users believe the photos are genuine. One user wrote: “Thanks Lord, nakauwi din ang aming mabait na ex president.” (Thanks Lord, our kind ex-president has made it home.) The facts: The photo showing Duterte in an airport arrivals area is 99% and 99.4% likely to be AI-generated, according to AI-detection tools Sightengine and Hive Detect, respectively. Duterte has been detained in The Hague, the Netherlands, since his arrest in March 2025 and remains in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC). His trial is set to begin on November 30, following the confirmation of three charges against him. There is no official announcement from the ICC or reports from credible media outlets about Duterte’s supposed release or return to the Philippines, contrary to the claim. Duterte at the ICC: The fake photo began circulating after the former president appeared before the ICC on September 16 during his third status conference in The Hague. He faces charges of crimes against humanity linked to killings carried out during his administration’s war on drugs from 2011 to 2019, covering his time as vice mayor and mayor of Davao City, and as president of the Philippines. Duterte has lost several legal bids in his ICC case, including appeals for his interim release and challenging the court’s jurisdiction over his case. In September, the ICC Trial Chamber III ordered Duterte’s continued detention, finding no change in circumstances that would justify his release, “with or without conditions.” Under the Rome Statute, the ICC denies interim release to suspects who present a risk of fleeing, obstructing judicial proceedings, or continuing to commit related crimes. (READ: Where are we now in Rodrigo Duterte’s ICC case?) Debunked: Rappler has previously fact-checked claims that Duterte has returned to the Philippines: FACT CHECK: Post uses AI-generated news report to falsely claim Duterte is back in PH FACT CHECK: 2025 photo of Duterte in Hong Kong used to falsely claim he’s back in PH FACT CHECK: Video saying Duterte will be released in July 2026 is fake, AI-generated FACT CHECK: Duterte not back in PH, family photo misused FACT CHECK: ‘News report’ of Duterte aboard a plane returning to PH is fake – Agatha Gonzalvo/Rappler.com Agatha Gonzalvo is a Research and Data volunteer intern at Rappler. She is a fourth-year Applied Economics student at De La Salle University Manila. Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at [email protected]. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.