Fact Check: Viral VP Sara Duterte Mugshot is AI-Generated, Not Official

A circulating image purported to be a police mugshot of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, following the issuance of an arrest warrant, is likely an AI-generated fake, Rappler reported. The image, posted on Facebook on September 5, showed Duterte in a yellow shirt holding a booking sign with details such as a case number and "Grave Threat, Violation of Article 282, Revised Penal Code." The caption claimed it was a record for Duterte as the "first VP to be issued a warrant of arrest while still in office. Really the worst VP ever." While many commenters suspected the photo was edited, some believed it was real due to the arrest warrant. The post garnered over 2,800 reactions, 1,200 comments, and 131 shares. According to Rappler's fact-check, the image is not an official police mugshot. No such mugshots exist after Duterte posted bail on September 5. An AI detection tool, TruthScan, flagged the image with a 28% probability of AI generation and classified it as "Digitally Edited." A similar analysis by Sightengine found the photo to be 68% likely to contain deepfake content. The Quezon City Regional Trial Court issued an arrest warrant against Duterte on September 4 for three counts of grave threats. However, she was not physically arrested by the police. She voluntarily appeared before the court the following day and posted bail. Her voluntary surrender meant that while standard court booking procedures like fingerprinting were conducted, she was spared from having her mugshot taken. Her lawyer stated that she submitted required photos herself in lieu of mugshots, which are taken by police in cases of arrest. These photos have not been publicly released. A 2022 court circular allows an accused to submit four sets of their photos to be attached to bail bonds. Bicol-Saro Partylist Representative Terry Ridon criticized the absence of a mugshot during Duterte's bail posting as "special treatment," comparing it to Senator Rodante Marcoleta's surrender to the Sandiganbayan, where mandatory booking procedures were followed. Duterte's case stems from remarks made in November 2024, where she allegedly instructed someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were killed. The Quezon City court found probable cause to hold her for trial and set bail at P120,000 per count, totaling P360,000. Upon appearing at the courthouse to post bail, Duterte expressed feeling unsafe, citing documented threats and harassment since 2023. She stated she feared for her children and told reporters, "I do not feel safe. I feel like they will kill me." The grave threats allegation is also one of the four articles in her ongoing impeachment trial. Information Source: Rappler Philippines