Days after the elections, multiple videos circulated online, misleading viewers with a clip of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s common-law wife and falsely claiming that his return to the Philippines had been decided on.
The posts feature a May 13 interview with Honeylet Avanceña, who thanked supporters following the midterm victories of Duterte-aligned senatorial candidates and Duterte’s own landslide win in the mayoral race in Davao City.
Speaking in Bisaya, Avanceña said nothing is impossible when people pray for Duterte to come home, adding that God is merciful. She insisted that they won’t stop demanding Duterte’s return and won’t allow him to remain detained.
Avanceña went on to say, “Makauli na siya,” which translates to “He can now go home.” This remark was met with chants of “Duterte!” from the crowd.
However, the videos circulating on Facebook and TikTok selectively cut or omit her earlier statements about faith and hope, presenting her message as a confirmation of Duterte’s return.
The viral clips also added text overlays and captions claiming it is certain that Duterte is coming home, misleading viewers.
“Sigurado na makaka-uwi si Tatay Digong (It’s now sure that Duterte can come home),” a May 14 post by TikTok user duterte.dailyupdates read.
Another post by TikTok user angeloguilaranpad said: “SA WAKAS MAKAKAUWI NA SI TATAY DIGONG NG DAVAO CITY (Finally, Duterte can now go home to Davao City).”
RATING: This is misleading.
Facts
Duterte remains in detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, as of writing. He faces charges of crimes against humanity in connection with his so-called “war on drugs,” which led to thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings.
A confirmation of charges hearing is scheduled for September 23, during which ICC prosecutors will present evidence to support their case, while Duterte’s defense team will offer counterarguments, evidence and witnesses to convince the Pre-Trial Chamber to dismiss the case.
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