Video from Nepal protests falsely linked to anti-corruption rallies in Manila

Published on September 17, 2025 at 10:39
3 min read
By Ara Eugenio, AFP Philippines

Anger towards the government is mounting in the Philippines over a corruption scandal involving phoney flood control projects but a video circulating on social media does not show fed up Filipinos taking to the streets in Manila. The clip was filmed in Nepal during deadly anti-graft demonstrations that toppled the Himalayan nation's government.

The now-deleted video of protesters facing police on a wide tree-lined street was viewed more than 99,000 times after it was shared on TikTok on September 9, 2025.

Superimposed Tagalog-language text on the video claims the protesters are headed to the official residence of President Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippine capital Manila.

It also describes the demonstration as "another People Power" -- the peaceful 1986 uprising that toppled the dictatorship of Marcos's father, whose 20-year rule left the country impoverished with an estimated US$10 billion stolen from state coffers (archived link).

Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured on September 16, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

The clip circulated as anger mounted over allegations of corruption related to government flood control projects, with contractors and politicians trading accusations of corruption and bribery (archived link).

The Philippines has a long history of scandals involving public funds, in which high-ranking politicians found guilty of corruption have typically escaped serious jail time.

The same video was also shared in similar TikTok posts, triggering a flurry of comments from users who believed an uprising against Marcos's government had started.

"Oh my, why is this not in the news?" read a comment from one user.

Another commented: "History is repeating itself."

While the corruption scandal has triggered small-scale protests in Manila, the circulating clip does not show any of those demonstrations.

Youth-led Nepal protests

A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared clip led to the same footage posted on TikTok on September 8, where it amassed more than eight million views (archived link).

Its caption reads: "I am here to support the ongoing Zen G protest. Let's stand united to say NO to the misuse of our tax money for flexing and living a lavish lifestyle. Our hard-earned Nepalese money should be used for the welfare of the people, not for unnecessary show-offs."

Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (left) and the video about protests in Nepal (right)

The post refers to youth-led anti-corruption protests in Nepal that began on the day and quickly escalated, with parliament and key government buildings set ablaze (archived link).

The footage corresponds to Google Street View imagery of a road leading to the parliament building in Kathmandu (archived link).

It also matches an AFP photo of the protests taken by Prabin Ranabhat.

Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and an AFP photo of the protests in Nepal (right), with corresponding features highlighted by AFP

The violent protests ousted Nepal's government, and the Himalayan nation is now seeking to restore order and assess the damage caused by the worst unrest the country has seen since the civil war and abolition of the monarchy in 2008.

At least 72 people were killed in the two days of protests, with scores more badly injured, according to official figures.

AFP has also debunked other misinformation linked to the Nepal protests.

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