Footage of Catholic procession misrepresented as protest for Rodrigo Duterte

Published on March 18, 2025 at 08:10
3 min read
By Lucille SODIPE, AFP Philippines

Days after ex-Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was flown to The Hague to face a charge of crimes against humanity, a video of a huge prayer vigil surfaced in social media posts that falsely claimed it showed a demonstration of support for the former leader. The footage, which was viewed millions of times, in fact shows an annual Catholic procession held in the central Philippines two months earlier.

The video, showing scores of people holding candles while walking and reciting a rosary prayer in the Visayan language, was shared on Facebook on March 15, 2025.

"Lord please hear our prayers and bring PRRD back (home) healthy and safe," reads part of the video's caption, using initials in place of president Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

Overlaid text on the video says the prayer rally took place in Cebu, Catholic-majority Philippines' second-largest city.

Screenshot of the false Facebook post, captured on March 18, 2025

The video was shared alongside similar claims on TikTok, as well as a Facebook post that racked up 3.5 million views before it was deleted.

It circulated after Duterte was arrested in Manila and sent to The Hague to face a charge of the crime against humanity of murder over his years-long campaign against drug users and dealers that rights groups said killed tens of thousands (archived link).

Victims' families have welcomed the trial, while Duterte's supporters believe he was "kidnapped" and sent to the Netherlands amid a falling out with the ruling Marcos family.

Demonstrators have gathered in different locations across the country, voicing support or opposition for the 79-year-old ex-leader, the first former Asian head of state charged by the International Criminal Court (archived here and here).

The video circulating online, however, does not show a prayer rally in Cebu for Duterte.

Penitential Walk with Mary

While local news reports said the ex-president's supporters rallied in Cebu from March 13, a reverse image search found the circulating video predates Duterte's arrest (archived here, here and here).

The same footage was previously posted by broadcaster GMA News on its verified Facebook page on January 17 (archived link).

Its caption reads, "WATCH: Devotees pray as they walk with the image of the Virgin Mary dawn on January 17, 2025 in Cebu City for #FiestaSenor2025."

The procession is part of an annual religious celebration in Cebu.

Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and the GMA News clip (right)

Similar footage of the event, known as the Penitential Walk with Mary, was posted by other local news outfits -- CDN Digital, Daily Tribune and state media Radyo Pilipinas (archived here, here and here).

In a Facebook post on March 16, GMA News warned about the "fake" social media posts, and reminded the public to be more discerning so as to not be misled (archived link).

AFP has previously debunked other false claims that circulated after Duterte's arrest here and here.

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