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Claim: Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos, and Philippine National Police chief Rommel Marbil are seen hugging each other.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The TikTok video bearing the claim was posted on Sunday, September 8, and has 287,500 views, 6,101 likes, 2,017 comments, and 936 shares as of writing.
The superimposed text on the video reads, “That’s what friends are for” and “Pag ganito mukhang walang patutunguhan ang kaso ([If this is the situation] the case will lead nowhere).”
The facts: The TikTok video was fabricated using AI technology.
The photo of Guo, Abalos, and Marbil taken on September 5, 2024 was animated using the AI tool Runway. This logo is visible in the lower right corner of the video.
Suspicious details, such as the sudden appearance of a hand on Marbil’s back, also suggest manipulation.
To verify this, Rappler used the same AI tool and generated a similar result by instructing it to create a scene where the individuals “hug each other.”
The tool yielded almost similar results as the video circulating on social media.
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AI-generated hugging videos trend: There’s a recent TikTok trend where users apply an AI filter or effect to a photo to make it appear as though they are hugging someone.
Fans often use this feature with pictures of themselves and their favorite Kpop or Ppop idols to create the illusion of being in an embrace. Others use this effect on photos of themselves with loved ones who have passed away.
Controversial photo: A photo of Abalos and Marbil smiling alongside Guo, who is grinning and making the peace sign, sparked public outrage for what seemed to be celebrity treatment of the dismissed mayor.
The photo was taken in Jakarta, where Guo was arrested on September 4 after a months-long pursuit by the Philippine government. Guo faces graft charges and multiple complaints, including human trafficking and money laundering, related to her alleged links to illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs). The controversial former mayor is also accused of faking her Filipino citizenship.
Last June, Guo ditched Senate panel hearings on POGOs because she was “sick and stressed.” The Senate subpoenaed Guo to compel her to appear before the committee and later ordered her arrest for “unduly refusing to appear, despite due notices,” in the upper chamber’s probe.
It was later revealed that Guo left the country on July 18, traveling to Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Following her arrest in Indonesia, Guo faced senators in a hearing on September 9, where she continued to evade questions and was again cited in contempt for testifying falsely. – James Patrick Cruz/Rappler.com
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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