FACT CHECK: Video of Romualdez challenging VP Sara to face allegations is AI-generated

Claim: A video shows former House speaker Martin Romualdez speaking in front of a crowd and challenging Vice President Sara Duterte to answer the corruption allegations against her. 

Rating: FALSE 

Why we fact-checked this: The video bearing the claim has already garnered 943,000 reactions, 12,000 reactions, 2,100 comments, and 1,500 shares as of writing. It was posted on May 21, days after the Senate officially convened as an impeachment court for Duterte’s trial. 

The video shows Romualdez supposedly saying, “Kung wala kang itinatago, Inday, bakit hindi ka humarap at sagutin ang madlang people? Huwag kang duwag, Inday.”

(If you have nothing to hide, Inday, why don’t you face the crowd and answer the questions? Don’t be a coward, Inday.) 

The video does not bear any disclaimer that it was generated using artificial intelligence (AI). Many Facebook users in the comment section believed that Romualdez did make the statement. 

One comment reads, “Tama yan sir tumpak ka [d’yan] sir, totoo ‘yan na nagnakaw si Inday kaya hindi humaharap, takot ‘yan kasi totoo, hindi niya masagot sagot.” 

(That’s right, sir. You’re right, sir. It’s true that Inday stole [public funds], so she can’t face the accusations against her. It’s because she’s afraid that she won’t be able to answer these allegations.) 

The facts: The video is AI-generated. Hive Moderation flagged the video as 82.6% likely to contain AI-generated content, with 98.4% evidence of AI-generated speech. Undetectable AI also flagged the video as 75% likely to be AI-generated, while Deepware Scanner flagged the video as suspicious. 

There are also no news reports citing Romualdez as making the exact statement shown in the video. In 2024, amid the House’s probe into alleged irregularities in Duterte’s use of her confidential funds, Romualdez said the Vice President should speak up about the accusations against her. However, his statements did not match those shown in the AI-generated video. 

“Well, then she should show up, take the oath, and explain because all of her officers don’t seem to know… I think she is the only one who knows what happened to the funds, so she should explain,” Romualdez said in a report by Daily Tribune in November 2024. (READ: Beyond the Sara-House rift: Valid budget questions hounding the OVP)

In a press release in November 2024, Romualdez was also quoted saying, “Kung wala kang [Duterte] itinatago, bakit hindi sagutin ang mga tanong? Karapatan ng taumbayan na malaman ang katotohanan.” 

(If you have nothing to hide, why not answer the questions? The people have the right to know the truth.) 

Impeachment: The AI-generated video circulated amid the impeachment proceedings against Duterte, who is set to face trial in the Senate in July.

The articles of impeachment against Duterte stem from her alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and threats to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and Romualdez.

On June 1, Duterte sought the dismissal of the articles of impeachment against her, claiming “they suffer from fatal constitutional, procedural, and substantive defects.”

Romualdez’s controversies: The former House speaker, meanwhile, also faces corruption controversies, particularly the budget insertion scandal and flood control ghost projects. 

Former House appropriations committee chairperson Zaldy Co accused Romualdez of masterminding the insertion of P100 billion worth of projects in the 2025 budget, which the latter denied in a video statement. 

Previous fact-checks: Rappler has previously fact-checked related false claims about Romualdez and Duterte’s impeachment: 

• FACT CHECK: Marcos, Romualdez did not flee PH over budget corruption scandal
• FACT CHECK: Video of Romualdez threatening to pin lawmakers in budget mess is AI-generated 
• FACT CHECK: Romualdez did not release USB containing budget corruption evidence vs Marcos 
• FACT CHECK: Martin Romualdez did not apologize to Duterte family 
• FACT CHECK: Tito Sotto did not replace Sara Duterte as vice president 
• FACT CHECK: No Marcos order to stop impeachment proceedings vs VP Sara 
• FACT CHECK: Arroyo’s ‘message’ to lawmakers pushing for VP Sara impeachment is fake  

– Angelee Kaye Abelinde/Rappler.com 

Angelee Kaye Abelinde is a student journalist based in Naga City, and an alumna of Rappler’s Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship 2024. 

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