There is a rhythm to misinformation in the Philippines, and if you have lived through even one election cycle, one political crisis, or one viral scandal, you begin to recognize the steps. The same actors, the same platforms, the same emotional triggers—but always a fresh set of lies. That is exactly what happened this September, according to Rappler’s latest video report. False news peddlers are back, using the same old antics, but they have dressed them up in new digital costumes. Some stories are completely fabricated from thin air. Others are altered versions of real events, clipped and twisted until they mean something they never did. Still more are AI-generated—synthetic audio, manipulated images, and even deepfake videos that look and sound real enough to fool almost anyone. The battleground is social media, where a single misleading post can reach thousands of people before a single fact-checker has even had a sip of morning coffee. And at the center of this storm is the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, a story that has gripped the country since July 2026. For months, the trial has been more than just a legal proceeding; it has become a national conversation, a political flashpoint, and, increasingly, a feeding ground for disinformation.
What makes this current wave of falsehoods especially concerning is not just the volume but the sophistication. In the past, fake news often meant poorly Photoshopped images, out-of-context quote cards, or sensational headlines with no story behind them. Those still exist, of course. But now there is something more unsettling: generative tools that let anyone create convincing fake audio of a person saying something they never said, or alter a video so subtly that the eye cannot detect the manipulation. Imagine hearing a voice that sounds exactly like a public official making a damaging admission, or seeing a video clip that appears to show an event that never actually happened. That is not science fiction anymore. That is the reality of the September disinformation landscape. These tactics are being deployed around the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, a case that has already divided families, classrooms, and online communities. The trial itself is complicated enough—full of legal arguments, procedural questions, and political undertones. False news peddlers exploit that complexity. They know that when people are confused or anxious, they are more likely to share something that confirms what they already believe. They know that outrage travels faster than nuance. So they manufacture despair or anger, they point to a fabricated piece of evidence, and they let social media do the rest. By the time the truth emerges, the damage has already been done—the lie has been liked, shared, commented on, reposted, and internalized.
Why is the impeachment trial such an attractive target? Because it sits at the intersection of power, personality, and public perception. Sara Duterte is not just a vice president; she is a descendent of one of the most dominant political families in recent Philippine history. Her father, Rodrigo Duterte, remains a powerful and polarizing figure. Her own political career has been marked by strong alliances, sharp rivalries, and a loyal base. The impeachment trial, which began in July 2026, has naturally drawn intense scrutiny from both supporters and critics. For those who want to discredit the vice president, false information can be used to paint her as a victim of a corrupt political elite—or as someone who deserves every legal challenge coming her way, depending on the narrative. For those who want to defend her, disinformation can be used to sow doubt about the legitimacy of the trial itself. This is the ugly genius of modern misinformation: it does not simply spread lies about the facts; it spreads lies about the process. It tells people that the courts are biased, that the testimony is fake, that the evidence is fabricated, that the journalists reporting on the trial are puppets. When the trial itself becomes the subject of distrust, democratic accountability suffers. People stop believing that justice is possible. They tune out, or they choose sides not based on evidence but on emotional connection to a story they have been told online. That is why the work of separating truth from fiction is not just an academic exercise. It is a civic necessity.
This is exactly where Rappler’s latest video steps in. Produced as part of Rappler’s ongoing commitment to fact-checking and media literacy, the video is hosted by researcher-writer Lourence Marcellana, who also wrote and edited the piece. But Marcellana is not working alone. The credits reveal a dedicated team behind the scenes: producers Camille Zarate and Genno Rabaya, videographer Leone Requilman, supervising producers JC Gotinga and Beth Frondoso, and supervising editors Chay Hofileña and Jodesz Gavilan. This might seem like a lot of names for a short video, but that is intentional. Fact-checking is a collaborative discipline. It requires people who know how to track down original sources, people who understand the technical aspects of video and audio verification, people who can translate complex findings into clear language, and people who are willing to take responsibility when mistakes happen. The video does not simply tell viewers what is false; it shows them how to tell truth from fiction. It demonstrates the tools and techniques used by journalists to debunk misleading content—checking the original footage, examining metadata, searching for official records, comparing timestamps, and looking for signs of AI manipulation. It also encourages viewers to be skeptical of anything that seems too outrageous or too convenient. If a claim makes you feel a sudden surge of anger or vindication, that is exactly the moment to pause and ask: Who made this? How was it verified? Where is the evidence? Those are uncomfortable questions, but they are essential. The video’s tone is calm, patient, and human—exactly the opposite of the breathless, panic-inducing style of disinformation.
Watching a video like this is more than just an act of personal education. It is a small act of resistance against an entire ecosystem of manufactured confusion. Think about what it takes to debunk even one false post. A journalist must first locate the claim, often buried in a group chat or a viral post. Then they must trace it back to its origin. They must find out whether the video was taken out of context, whether the image was edited, whether the audio was synthesized. They must interview sources, consult experts, and verify facts from multiple angles. Then they must present all of this in a way that ordinary people can understand—without jargon, without condescension, without losing the nuance. That is what Lourence Marcellana and the Rappler team have done. But the responsibility does not end with the journalist. It extends to every person who watches the video and decides to share it. It extends to every reader who chooses to pause before sharing a suspicious post. It extends to every citizen who decides to care more about the truth than about the comfort of a convenient narrative. We live in an age where the tools to create lies are more powerful than ever, but so are the tools to detect them. The question is whether we have the will to use them. The video is not just a warning about false news; it is a quiet reminder that truth is still possible, that words still mean something, and that facts are not simply a matter of opinion.
In the end, the return of false news peddlers is not surprising. They will always be back. They will always adapt. This September, they are using fabricated, altered, and AI-generated content to surround the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte with a fog of lies. But they are not invincible. Social media companies can do more to label and limit harmful content. Government institutions can be more transparent about their processes. Journalists can continue to do the painstaking work of verification. And ordinary citizens can refuse to be pawns in a game of digital deception. We can choose to be the kind of people who wait for the facts, who value accuracy over outrage, who understand that justice and democracy depend on an informed public. The video by Rappler is an invitation to make that choice. You can watch it, learn from it, and share it with someone who may have been misled. You can also take a moment to question the next viral post you see—especially if it is about a sitting vice president, an impeachment trial, or any story that seems designed to make you angry. Because if you have a pulse and a social media account, you are already in the crosshairs of the false news peddlers. The only question is whether you will believe everything you see, or whether you will take the time to separate truth from fiction. The answer matters. It always has, and this September, it matters more than ever. – Rappler.com.