Old photo falsely portrayed as Philippine armed forces mobilising for Rodrigo Duterte

Published on March 21, 2025 at 09:40
4 min read
By Tommy WANG, AFP Hong Kong

After ex-Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte was handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, an image was shared in Chinese posts that falsely claimed it showed local troops warning they would "lead an attack on Manila" if the China-friendly former president failed to return. There have been no reports of Philippine soldiers threatening violence in the country in the wake of the former president's arrest, and the image used in the false posts has circulated since October 2017, when Duterte was still president.

"Armed forces in Davao City threaten pro-US Marcos that if Duterte fails to return from the Netherlands, they will lead an attack on Manila," reads the simplified Chinese caption to an image shared on Douyin on March 13, 2025.

Duterte served as mayor of Davao prior to becoming president, and the city remains a family stronghold.

The image of dozens of soldiers dressed in combat gear standing in front of a stage was shared after the 79-year-old's shocking arrest and swift transfer to The Hague (archived link).

The former president faces a crimes against humanity charge for his years-long campaign against drug users and dealers that rights groups said killed thousands.

Screenshot of the false Douyin post, captured on March 20, 2025

The same image was shared in several other Douyin posts, while a similar claim was posted alongside a different photo on Weibo.

"In Davao City, Duterte's home base, the armed forces issued a statement that it would slaughter the Marcos family and attack all US bases in the Philippines if Duterte meets an untimely demise at the tribunal of The Hague," reads the post, also shared on March 13.

Screenshot of the false Weibo post, captured on March 19, 2025

Duterte's arrest came amid a bitter feud with his successor and once-ally President Ferdinand Marcos, who has been highlighting the administrations' different approaches to dealing with China during campaign rallies ahead of crucial mid-term elections in May (archived here and here).

Marcos is widely seen as having aggressively pushed back against Chinese claims in the resource-rich South China Sea, a change from Duterte's cosier relationship with Beijing.

Duterte's tenure was marked by a swing away from the nation's former colonial master, the United States, in favour of China, setting aside rivalry with Beijing and opting to court Chinese business instead.

China has said it is closely monitoring Duterte's arrest and has warned the ICC against "politicisation" and "double standards" (archived link).

While Duterte's arrest sparked protests across the archipelago, there have been no official reports as of March 21 of Philippine troops issuing warnings to the Marcos administration (archived link).

The Philippine armed forces have separately described reports of military resignations in support of Duterte as "unverified", and urged "everyone to exercise critical discernment and avoid spreading unconfirmed information" (archived link).

Spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said on March 13 the armed forces remain a "professional, unified, and non-partisan institution, committed to its constitutional mandate of defending the nation and serving the Filipino people".

Unrelated images

Moreover, a combination of reverse image and keyword searches on Google found the images used in the false posts predate the former president's arrest.

The image of soldiers gathered before a stage is similar to an AFP photo taken in the southern city of Marawi city on October 17, 2017.

"Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte (onstage in brown) salutes along with soldiers and government officials, during a ceremony where he declared Marawi 'liberated', inside the battle area of Bangolo district in Marawi on October 17, 2017," reads the photo's caption.

Screenshot comparison of the image in the false post (left) and the similar AFP photo (right), with matching elements highlighted

AFP reported that Duterte led soldiers in celebrations a day after the military announced the death of the head of the Islamic State group in Southeast Asia, Isnilon Hapilon, in a gun battle in the city (archived link).

Pro-IS gunmen had occupied parts of Marawi, the main Islamic city in the predominantly Catholic Philippines, five months earlier following a foiled attempt by security forces to arrest Hapilon.

The other falsely shared photo, of three soldiers in front of a Duterte banner, was taken by the European Pressphoto Agency (EPA) and published on May 16, 2016 (archived link).

"Filipino soldiers stand guard next to the banner of presumptive president-elect Rodrigo Duterte, on a street in Davao City, southern Philippines, 16 May 2016," reads part of its caption.

Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared photo (left) and the EPA photo (right)

AFP has debunked other misinformation that has swirled on Chinese social media since Duterte's arrest here and here.

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