Images showing Duterte with Epstein are manipulated
- Published on February 26, 2026 at 05:34
- 3 min read
- By Ara Eugenio, AFP Philippines
After the US government released millions of pages from files connected to Jeffrey Epstein, manipulated images of the convicted sex offender with former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte surfaced online. The circulating visuals were altered from an old Getty Images portrait of Epstein and US President Donald Trump, and bear errors that indicate they were created using AI.
"Photo of Duterte and convicted s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein, found in the Epstein files released by the US Justice Department," reads a graphic shared on TikTok February 10, 2026, which racked up more than 297,000 views.
The accompanying image appears to show a much younger Duterte with his right hand over Epstein's shoulder as the two stand close together.
Similar images depicting the pair engaged in conversation were shared by the same TikTok account.
The images also circulated on Facebook after the US Justice Department released the latest cache of files from its investigation into Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking underage girls (archived link).
Previous releases have shed light on the disgraced financier's ties to leading business executives, celebrities, academics and politicians, although the mere mention of someone's name in the files does not, in itself, imply any wrongdoing by that person.
However, the records do show at the very least social and professional links that certain public figures had previously attempted to minimise or deny.
Comments to the posts indicate many social media users believed the images were authentic, with one writing: "Birds of a feather."
"If someone stands next to a criminal, that makes them a criminal too, is that right everyone?" another said.
The 80-year-old Duterte, who is facing crimes against humanity charges before the International Criminal Court, is mentioned several times in the latest batch of Epstein documents (archived here and here).
But the references are limited to news clippings from publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post that were emailed to Epstein.
AI-altered images
Reverse image searches on Google found the circulating images were edited using artificial intelligence tools.
Epstein's likeness was lifted from a portrait of him and US President Donald Trump, published by visual media agency Getty Images (archived link).
The caption says it was captured by photography house Davidoff Studios at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on February 22, 1997.
Trump features prominently in the Epstein files, but has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, saying the newly released documents exonerated him (archived link).
Meanwhile, Duterte's image mirrors his appearance in the early 1990s, when he was mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao, as seen in a Reuters photo from the time (archived link).
Duterte appears in the same striped shirt and haircut, but with his right hand pointing, not his left.
The images also contain visual inconsistencies typical of AI-generated content.
In one of the images, Duterte is depicted with six fingers on one hand.
His haircut is also inconsistent; in one, he is shown with a bowl cut while in the others, he sports a natural, layered look.
AFP has fact-checked other misinformation stemming from the Epstein files.
Copyright © AFP 2017-2026. Any commercial use of this content requires a subscription. Click here to find out more.
Is there content that you would like AFP to fact-check? Get in touch.
Contact us
