Posts about ex-Philippine president Duterte's health share edited visual

The image of a crying Veronica Duterte -- more popularly known in the Philippines as Kitty -- was shared on TikTok on January 8. It has been viewed over three million times since. 

The post appears to be a news item, with "Breaking News" written at the top-right corner of the image and a Tagalog-language headline that reads: "Former president Duterte's daughter Kitty Duterte is seen crying after exiting the International Criminal Court because her father does not seem to recognise people anymore."

"Kitty couldn't stop her emotions after saying her father does not seem to recognise her anymore and looks weaker by the day."

The Philippine ex-leader's lawyers have filed several appeals for his release from ICC detention, where he has been held since March 11, 2025, citing the state of his health (archived link). 

The charges against Duterte have been made over the campaign against drug traffickers and consumers during his presidency that rights groups say left thousands dead.

An appeal in November 2025 was rejected by the ICC, which said conditions proposed by Duterte's lawyers did not meet those for medical parole. 

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Screenshot of false TikTok post taken on January 13, 2026

After his counsel offered "new medical evidence" in another appeal for temporary release on January 9, the image of Veronica apparently in tears surfaced on Facebook and Instagram (archived link). 

Users left comments indicating they believed the claims.

"Maybe [Duterte] is being poisoned, or being injected with something," one wrote.

Another said, "It seems the Duterte siblings are saying different things? The elder brother said [Duterte] was okay now this?" 

However, the image is manipulated.

A reverse image search on Google, followed by keyword searches on YouTube, found a video clip of Veronica Duterte with the same background shared on March 27, 2025, by radio station DZAR 1026, weeks after her father was taken to the ICC (archived link). 

The Tagalog headline translates to "Kitty Duterte, arrives at The Netherlands; answers former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte's pronouncement that she should be a lawyer first before visiting."

From the nine-second mark, she can be seen closing her eyes and emphasizing her gratitude to Filipino communities around the world for supporting her father. Veronica did not cry in the entire clip.

The image of the woman on the right, Veronica's mother Honeylet Avancena, was also manipulated to make her appear as if she was looking down. 

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Screenshot comparison of the manipulated image (left) and the video by DZAR 1026 radio station (right)

Keyword searches found multiple interviews in which Veronica speaks about her father, but she does not say he no longer recognises her.

In a December 19 interview by a Filipino vlogger, she says she cried during her visit with Duterte and described how happy and surprised her father was to see her again (archived link). 

In another interview with the same vlogger on December 29, Veronica described another visit from their family after Christmas Day (archived link). 

She said Duterte told her not to worry about him, telling her, "This is the price I have to pay because I saved my country, and the youth".

Veronica also does not mention any decline in her father's cognitive abilities in a third interview on January 2, after another visit to her father (archived link). 

AFP has repeatedly debunked misinformation surrounding Duterte's case at the International Criminal Court.