FACT CHECK: 1990 GMA interview mentioning Marcos is AI-generated

Claim: A schoolboy seems to have predicted Bongbong Marcos’ presidency.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: Several accounts on TikTok, like justforlaugh126 and _jhayarlosabio, have reposted an alleged interview clip from the 1990s where a reporter asks a schoolboy what he thinks the Philippines will look like in 2025.

The video bears the logo of GMA Network. The video itself also depicts an unknown reporter sitting across a schoolboy in front of a live audience.

He answers, “Ang anak ni Marcos ang magiging presidente at muling maghihirap ang tao.” (Marcos’ son will be president and the people will suffer again.) The audience then simultaneously reacts. Additionally, there are garbled Japanese subtitles at the bottom of the video.

The video posted by justforlaugh126 on TikTok has garnered more than 39,000 likes and 733 comments, whereas the one reposted by _jhayarlosabio has gained 3,200 likes.

Other TikTok accounts have also been interacting with this content.

The facts: The video is fake and appears to be AI-generated. A reverse image search hasn’t turned up any concrete evidence on the whereabouts of the reporter nor the schoolboy. There is no evidence to suggest that GMA conducted this interview.

AI-generated: Hive Moderation detected that the video is most likely AI-generated and/or contains deepfake content. There is also a slightly transparent Sora AI logo visible at the center-right of the screen. Sora AI is a generative AI video creator made by OpenAI that creates videos from text-based prompts. Many are likely more familiar with OpenAI’s other generative AI, ChatGPT.

Debunked: As AI-generated content has become a trend on social media, Rappler has already debunked similar AI-generated videos regarding Philippine politicians.

• FACT CHECK: Videos of Zaldy Co in Paris are AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: Viral video of Sarah Discaya admitting stolen funds is AI-manipulated
• FACT CHECK: Video of Zaldy Co alleging selective prosecution is AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: Photo of ‘Arab gold’ Duterte statue is AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: Video on Sara Duterte as the ‘woman to beat in 2028’ is AI-generated

– Seth Maquiling/Rappler.com

Seth Maquiling is a Rappler volunteer. He is a third-year creative writing student from the University of the Philippines Diliman and a former feature writer for Colegio de San Juan de Letran’s the LANCE.

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