FACT CHECK: No clash between De Lima, VP Sara; video is AI-generated

A video circulating on social media, claiming to show a heated confrontation between Representative Leila de Lima and Vice President Sara Duterte during an impeachment trial, has been debunked as AI-generated disinformation by Rappler’s fact-check. The video depicts a woman resembling De Lima appearing to tell Duterte, “I will do everything to remove you from office and have you imprisoned like your father.” Duterte, in turn, is shown responding, “You will never get revenge on us.” However, this exchange has not been confirmed by any official Senate records, livestream, or credible news reports. AI detection tools have identified irregularities in the video, indicating AI generation or manipulation. Analyses from AI detection tools have pointed out inconsistencies in facial consistency, motion authenticity, temporal consistency, and compression artifacts, assessing the clip as having a high likelihood of AI generation. The audio component, in particular, was found to be highly likely to contain AI-generated speech. While De Lima is actively participating as one of the House prosecutors in the impeachment proceedings against Duterte, there is no verified instance of her publicly threatening or exchanging personal insults with the Vice President. Duterte herself has not attended the impeachment proceedings, appearing at the Senate only briefly to meet with her lawyers. De Lima, a vocal critic of the Duterte administration, returned to Congress in 2025 after nearly seven years of detention. She recently welcomed the Senate impeachment court’s decision to subpoena tax records and Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth of Duterte and her husband, urging the Bureau of Internal Revenue to comply. Duterte’s impeachment trial formally opened on July 6, with allegations including misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and alleged threats to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other high-ranking officials. This incident highlights the growing threat of disinformation in the Philippines, particularly the use of AI-generated content like deepfakes to fuel political discord and distort public perception. The weaponization of AI for political antagonism poses a significant challenge to democratic processes. Source: Rappler Philippines