FACT CHECK: Photo of Duterte ‘Coca-Cola statue’ in the Netherlands is AI-generated

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While some suspected the photo was AI-generated, some Filipinos believed it was real and thanked Dutch citizens for supposedly creating the ‘statue’

Claim: A photo shows a statue of detained former president Rodrigo Duterte, allegedly created in the Netherlands using Coca-Cola bottles.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The photo circulated on Facebook and TikTok, with users claiming that Dutch citizens created the statue.

One account captioned the photo, “Art made [by people from the] Netherlands, creating art using Coca-Cola.”

As of writing, the Facebook post containing the claim has 6,200 reactions, 379 shares, and 606 comments.

The facts: AI detection tool Sight Engine analyzed the image and determined it was 99% likely to be AI-generated, with a 94% chance it was created using generative AI and 99% confidence rating related to the use of Imagen Diffusion technology.

While some suspected the image to be AI-generated, others seemed to believe it was genuine, leaving comments like, “Amazing replica of Tatay (Father) Digong, our beloved Pinoy tatay,” and “Thank you to the people of the Netherlands [for supporting] our ex-president Rodrigo Roa Duterte. We salute you.”

Duterte’s go-to drink: The image likely references Duterte’s fondness for Coke Zero. During Vice President Sara Duterte’s visit to her detained father in The Hague in March, she revealed that Duterte has been drinking Coke Zero excessively despite his diabetes, insisting on having at least two cans a day with his meals.

Monument joke: It can also be recalled that Duterte made a joke during a speech to overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong, where he referenced reports of a possible arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) concerning his administration’s deadly drug war. Duterte openly acknowledged that he might be sent to jail.

He said, “Mag-contribute kayo maski 5 dollars, 10 dollars para paglabas ko sa presohan, pagawa ‘nyo ako monumento katabi ni (Jose) Rizal.” 

(Chip in even just $5, $10 so that when I get out of prison, you can have a monument of me built next to Rizal). 

To date, there are no reports of any official or private efforts to create such a monument. 

ICC detention: Duterte’s arrest on March 11 has sparked waves of false claims on social media, with many of these posts claiming public support for him, ranging from supposed statements from notable public figures to fictional pledges of support.

Supporters of the former president have used boosted content and entertainment networks to try to manipulate opinion about Duterte’s arrest and detention, painting him as a victim. (READ: [DECODED] Duterte’s arrest revives familiar disinformation tactics)

Despite his detention, Duterte remains popular, winning the 2025 Davao City mayoral race by a landslide. (READ: Why does Duterte remain popular, influential in Davao City?) 

Debunked: Rappler has debunked several false posts on Duterte, including AI-generated images of alleged monuments and statues in his honor:

• FACT CHECK: Image of Jackie Chan sculpting Duterte statue is AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: Photo of Duterte ‘national hero’ statue is AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: Duterte’s monument photo is AI-generated

– Marjuice Destinado/Rappler.com

Marjuice Destinado is a Rappler intern. She is also a fact-checker and researcher-writer at Explained PH. A third-year political science student at Cebu Normal University (CNU), she serves as the feature editor of Ang Suga, CNU’s official student publication.

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