Image of 'impeach Marcos protest' is altered

The doctored picture was shared on Facebook on May 15, 2025. It appears to depict protesters carrying banners with the text "Impeach PBBM", the popular initials for Marcos.

"These left-leaning rebels wanted the 'Kakampinks' to win in the senate because they can control them. So that they can easily take over government as President," the post says.

"Kakampink" refers to allies and supporters of former vice president Leni Robredo, who lost the presidential race to Marcos in 2022.

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Screenshot of the post sharing the altered image taken May 19, 2025

The image -- which features members of the Akbayan and Magdalo political parties -- also surfaced on TikTok days after the former secured several seats in Congress in the May 12 mid-term elections (archived link).

However, Akbayan told AFP on May 19 that it "did not stage an impeach BBM rally" and that "the picture is edited."

A reverse image search on Google found similar photos and footage captured during an earlier demonstration on January 31.

Photos from Getty Images and clips from local news outlets including The Manila Times, ABS-CBN and Manila Bulletin show the text on the placards originally read: "Impeach Sara!" (archived here, here, here, here).

"Protesters holding placards shout slogans during a rally at the People Power monument in Manila on January 31, 2025, in support of the impeachment of Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte," says the caption of an AFP photo from the rally.

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Screenshot comparison of the doctored image (L) and AFP's photo of the same rally, with elements highlighted by AFP

Akbayan endorsed an impeachment complaint against Duterte filed by an alliance of civil society groups in December 2024 (archived link).

She was impeached on February 5 for "high crimes", including an alleged assassination plot against ally-turned-foe President Marcos (archived link).

One of Akbayan's representatives will be part of the prosecution panel in Duterte's impeachment trial in June, which could see her permanently barred from public office (archived link).