Fabricated graphic of former lawmaker linking Sara Duterte to flood control scandal misleads online

A news graphic that bears local broadcaster GMA's logo and photos of Vice President Sara Duterte and former senator Revilla was shared in a Facebook post on January 28.

Tagalog-language text on the image reads: "Former senator Ramon 'Bong' Revilla Jr surrenders to the police and fingers VP Sara as the mastermind behind the corruption in flood-control projects."

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Screenshot of the false Facebook post taken on February 24, 2026, with a red X added by AFP

Revilla surrendered to the police on January 19 after he was charged with graft and malversation over a corruption scandal where scores of public works officials and lawmakers are accused of pocketing billions of funds allocated for flood mitigation "ghost projects" (archived link). 

Philippine media reported Revilla has allegedly received kickbacks in the scheme (archived link). 

Rage over the scandal has been building for months in the archipelago country of 116 million, where entire towns were buried in floodwaters driven by powerful typhoons in 2025.

Local news reports said President Ferdinand Marcos, who endorsed Revilla's bid for another senate term in 2025, was "saddened by the charges" against his political ally, but insisted "due process must prevail" (archived here, here and here).

Macros has been embroiled in a bitter feud with Duterte, who faced impeachment in 2025 over her threat to assassinate the president (archived link). The Supreme Court threw out the case over procedural issues, but the freshly declared presidential candidate is now facing a new slew of impeachment complaints filed against her this year (archived link). 

The image circulated elsewhere on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok with comments showing people believed the news graphic was real. 

"Good job, Bong, you've earned my admiration," one wrote, using the former lawmaker's nickname. "We know what (the Duterte) family is doing, poor Philippines."

Another said, "He threw her under the bus. I wonder how much he was paid to do that."

Multiple keyword searches found the graphic was first posted by a TikTok account called @politoks.1, which has uploaded other graphics that misuse the logos of media organisations in the Philippines.

In a January 21 statement, GMA disowned the image and said a "fake poster is circulating around social media, misusing the logo of GMA News TV" (archived link).

"Be careful, and be critical of fake news."

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Screenshot of GMA News's statement released on January 21

A search on the outlet's official social media accounts also did not find the fabricated news graphic, while further searches also did not yield any official reports that Revilla made that statement. 

He did not mention Duterte in a video of himself addressing his supporters posted before he surrendered himself (archived link). 

AFP reached out to his camp for a comment but no response was forthcoming. 

AFP has debunked other false claims related to the flood project scandal.