FACT CHECK: Photo of bedridden Duterte is fake, digitally altered

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A TikTok post showing the detained former president looking thin and frail has sparked concern among his supporters. Vice President Sara Duterte said the photo is fake.

Claim: A photo shows former president Rodrigo Duterte looking thin and frail, wearing a hospital gown in bed.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The post has gained traction on social media with over 1,453 shares, 2,629 comments, and 13,500 reactions. Text superimposed on the photo reads: “My prayers are always with you” and “Prayer for Tatay Digong.”

The photo has been widely misinterpreted as depicting Duterte’s current health status, sparking concern among the former president’s supporters. Believing Duterte was in critical condition at a hospital, several social media users left messages of support and well wishes. 

The facts: Vice President Sara Duterte said the photo of her father was edited.

In an interview with reporters at The Hague, she stated, ¨Hindi po totoo ang photo na iyon. Malamang edited ang photo na iyon. Malamang ibang pasyente iyon. Inano lang nila ang mukha ni dating pangulong Duterte. Wala po siya sa ospital ng detention unit. Nandoon po siya sa regular wing ng detention unit. At kanina, naglalakad naman siya mag-isa. May dala dala siyang tungkod. So clearly wala siyang sakit na kumbaga na kailangan niyang maging bed-ridden.”

(That photo was probably edited. It was probably a different patient. They just added the face of former president Duterte. He is not in the detention unit hospital. He is in the regular wing of the detention unit. And earlier, he was walking alone. He was carrying a cane. So clearly he is not sick enough to need to be bedridden.)

The Vice President made the clarification following her visit to her father, who is detained at the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention center over charges of crimes against humanity.

A closer look at the image also reveals signs of digital alteration. According to a PressOne.PH fact check article on the same photo, mismatched lighting and unnatural or distorted facial features and proportions are noticeable in the altered photo. 

Rappler earlier fact-checked a similar AI-generated “skin and bones” photo of the former president.

Duterte’s health status: The photo circulated following an earlier statement by the Vice President, where she said her father had lost significant weight. In a report by GMA News, the Vice President described her father as “skin and bones.”

Nowhere in her statement or the GMA report was there any mention of Duterte being hospitalized or in critical condition. 

The last update regarding the former president’s health was in March 2025, when he was unable to physically attend his pre-trial hearing due to health problems. Upon his arrival at the ICC detention center, however, doctors had found him to be “fully mentally aware and fit,” but agreed that he was unfit to appear in person at his pre-trial hearing.

According to a GMA News report, the ICC said it is adopting “necessary measures” to ensure the health of detainees, but did not comment on the reported “skin and bones” condition of Duterte. – Naomi Cuerdo/Rappler.com

Naomi Cuerdo is a Rappler volunteer. She is a third year student taking Applied Mathematics with a specialization in Data Science at Far Eastern University – Manila. 

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