Images of ex-Philippine leader's family manipulated to show supposed state of health in detention
- Published on February 12, 2026 at 09:52
- 3 min read
- By Lucille SODIPE, AFP Philippines
Prior to International Criminal Court (ICC) judges ruling that former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was fit to take part in pre-trial hearings starting February 23, manipulated images depicting the 80-year-old in very poor health were shared on social media. The images were doctored from a more than year-old photo of Duterte with his youngest child and another that originally only showed his eldest daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte.
"Kitty Duterte is happy to see her father, Rodrigo Duterte, who has a special request to their family's supporters," reads part of the overlaid Tagalog-language text on what appears to be a news graphic shared on TikTok on January 21, 2026.
"Duterte asked his supporters to hold a rally against the government and to call for the ICC to release him. Duterte also said he's suffering from poor health and doesn't want to die in detention."
The graphic features an image of a gaunt looking Duterte with his youngest child Veronica, who is often referred to as Kitty. It includes a "Breaking News" banner and the graphic is credited to "Pinoy Headlines".
A similar image of the 80-year-old with his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte was shared by the same TikTok account on January 23.
Superimposed text on the image, which also bears the "Breaking News banner" and is attributed to "Pinoy Headlines", claims it shows Duterte with his eldest daughter enjoying an hour outside his detention facility.
The images circulated days before ICC judges rejected arguments the 80-year-old was unfit to take part in a so-called "confirmation of charges" hearing starting on February 23, where judges will decide whether prosecutors' allegations against Duterte are strong enough to proceed to trial (archived link).
ICC prosecutors have charged Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity, alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders as part of his “war on drugs" that rights groups say killed thousands.
"Having regard to the relevant legal principles, the medical assessment of the independent experts... and all of the relevant circumstances of the case, the Chamber was satisfied that Mr Duterte is able effectively to exercise his procedural rights," the court said.
The images were also shared elsewhere on Facebook and Instagram.
"I don't even recognise him," read a comment on one of the posts.
Another said: "Dear God, please hear our prayers. His human form may deteriorate, but spiritually he is saved."
While members of the president's family did speak about how the president "has become very thin" in July 2025 and how he "now has long hair" in January 2026, there have been no publicly released photos of the former Philippine leader since he was arrested and detained in March 2025 (archived here and here).
Doctored images
A reverse image search of the graphic featuring Duterte with his youngest daughter led to a similar photo posted on the verified Facebook page of Senator Christopher Go on April 10, 2024 (archived here).
The photo shows Duterte between his daughter and Go, who served as the president's special assistant from 2016 to 2019 (archived link).
Part of the caption to the image reads: "Happy Birthday, Kitty! Former president Rodrigo Duterte flew from Davao City to personally greet his daughter Kitty Duterte. The father and daughter were together for a birthday dinner, with Kitty's mother Ma'am Honeylet."
A separate reverse image search of the graphic featuring Duterte with his eldest daughter led to a Facebook post from July 8, 2025, published by a Filipino vlogger in The Netherlands (archived link).
The caption reads in part: "In all honesty, Vice President Inday Sara never ceases to amaze me...She is undoubtedly a leader with both vision and a genuine heart for the people and the country. She is, undeniably, my President in 2028."
The surroundings in the photo match video used in news reports from the time about the vice president visiting her detained father in The Hague (archived link).
The Office of the Vice President said in a February 12 statement that "Pinoy Headlines" has "repeatedly published and circulated false, misleading, and malicious content about Vice President Sara Z. Duterte and her family."
AFP has debunked misinformation related to the former Philippine president and his case at the ICC.
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