AI videos stir VP impeachment debate in Phl

Two viral videos appearing to show ordinary Filipinos weighing in on Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment have reignited national debate — not for their content, but for the revelation that both were created using artificial intelligence.

The first clip, shared widely on social media, featured a digital schoolboy questioning the motives behind Duterte’s impeachment. “Why single out the VP?” the AI-generated character asks, suggesting political bias in the process. The second showed a computer-generated elderly woman selling fish and criticizing the Senate for not pursuing a trial. Both clips amassed millions of views.

Neither video depicted real people.

The use of AI in the context of Duterte’s controversial impeachment has drawn attention to how synthetic media is shaping political discourse in the Philippines. Lawmakers in the Senate dismissed the House-passed impeachment case earlier this month, citing constitutional concerns. A conviction would have removed Duterte from office and barred her from politics for life.

Senator Ronald dela Rosa, a Duterte ally, shared the schoolboy video, praising the message. “Even if it's AI... I agree with the point,” he said. Vice President Duterte said she had no issue with the video. “There's no problem with sharing an AI video in support of me,” she told reporters.

Online investigators and fact-checkers quickly identified both clips as AI-generated, noting telltale signs like visual inconsistencies and a faint watermark from Google's Veo platform.

Bernard Senocip, the creator of the fish vendor video, told AFP it took him five minutes to generate the eight-second clip. He defended the use of AI as a way for citizens to share views without facing harsh online backlash. “As long as you know your limitations and you're not misleading your viewers, I think it's fine,” he said.

The schoolboy video was made by an anonymous administrator of the Facebook page Ay Grabe, who claimed the message was based on real student opinions.

Experts warn such content blurs the line between public sentiment and synthetic storytelling. Jose Mari Lanuza of the Sigla Research Center said AI-generated personas can “make beliefs seem more popular than they actually are,” potentially undermining trust in democratic processes.

“This content fosters distrust not only towards particular lawmakers but towards the impeachment process,” he said.

Jose Miguelito Enriquez, a researcher at Nanyang Technological University, noted the challenge AI-generated personas pose. While some platforms prohibit deepfakes of real people, fictional characters expressing real political views fall into a “gray area,” he said.

Google, whose Veo platform was used to generate the videos, did not respond to questions about safeguards against misuse.

Dominic Ligot, founder of Data and AI Ethics PH, said the evolving quality of AI tools makes them even more persuasive. “Veo is only the latest in a string of rapidly evolving tools for AI media generation,” he said, warning that AI is increasingly used to sway opinions, pressure decision-makers, and distort public debate.