
In the Philippines, AI fakes duel over VP Sara Duterte's impeachment
Days after the
Philippine Senate declined to launch the impeachment trial of the country's vice-president, two interviews with Filipinos arguing for and against the move went viral.
Advertisement
Neither were real.
The schoolboys and elderly woman making their cases were AI creations, examples of increasingly sophisticated fakes possible with even basic online tools.
'Why single out the VP?', a digitally created boy in a white school uniform asks, arguing that the case was politically motivated.
The House of Representatives impeached Sara Duterte in early February on charges of corruption and an alleged assassination plot against former ally and running mate President
Ferdinand Marcos Jnr
Advertisement
A guilty verdict in the Senate would result in her removal from office and a lifetime ban from Philippine politics.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Philippine prosecutors push for Sara Duterte's conviction, political ban
Prosecutors at the Philippines ' House of Representatives have asked the Senate to proceed with the trial of impeached Vice-President Sara Duterte, saying she should be convicted and barred from politics. Dismissing the case is prohibited, they said on Friday, in response to Duterte's move earlier this week asking the Senate, which sits as the impeachment court, to throw out her case. 'The plain language of the constitutional text 'trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed' leaves no room for interpretation and forecloses the filing of a motion to dismiss before the honourable impeachment court,' prosecutors said. Duterte was impeached by the House in February on allegations that include misusing public funds and plotting to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after their political alliance collapsed. She has denied the allegations. The prosecutors' action tosses the case back to the Senate, which earlier this month returned the impeachment articles to the House, asking the latter to certify that the complaint did not violate the constitution. The volatile political situation surrounding Duterte's impeachment case poses a risk for the Southeast Asian economy, which on Thursday cut its economic growth target this year amid heightened global uncertainties. At least two-thirds of the 24-member Senate need to vote to convict Duterte, a top contender for the 2028 presidential election, when Marcos must step down after a constitutionally limited six-year term.


South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Southeast Asia increasingly finds China more reliable and predictable
As a nation, China sees itself as a rational, peaceful and stabilising force in an increasingly dangerous and fragmented global order. While such national characteristics may be relative and are mostly in the eyes of the beholder, they seem to be less debatable when compared with the erratic and unpredictable actions and policy flip-flops coming out of the White House of Donald Trump. In his first official visit last week, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong was given the same message Xi Jinping has been sending to other Southeast Asian leaders during the latter's tour of the region earlier this year. Singapore and China together need to 'stand on the right side of history', Xi says, and push for an equitable multipolar world against 'unilateral bullying' and 'tariff abuse'. That was obviously a reference to the Trump administration's 'reciprocal tariffs', which have especially irked Singapore because of its trade deficit with the United States. In April, Wong criticised the US tariffs as 'not actions one does to a friend', so Xi's message was calibrated to appeal to the Singaporean sense of unfairness. It's often been claimed that, unlike the transatlanticism of Nato and the democratic governance of the European Union, Asean countries that collectively account for most of the economic activities of Southeast Asia lack a cohesive ideology. But despite their differences in government, culture and language, they do share some strong beliefs; that is, in growth, prosperity, pragmatism and peaceful coexistence over sabre-rattling. These are the same values to which China has long been committed. Also, it's long been debated whether Asean countries such as Singapore will end up having to choose between China and the US in their increasingly bitter rivalry. Asean's common response has been that they can be friends with everyone.


South China Morning Post
9 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Could Cambodia hit the Thai capital with its made-in-China weapons?
Cambodia could use Chinese-made weapons to strike Thailand but they would not put the Thai capital within reach, and Beijing is unlikely to stand by if border tensions erupt into military conflict, according to a Chinese analyst. 'China's weapon exports are defensive in nature, and after purchase, ownership and usage rights belong entirely to the recipient country,' former People's Liberation Army instructor Song Zhongping said. 'China would not wish to see two of its traditional friends at war, even over territorial disputes,' he said, adding that Beijing would seek to facilitate negotiations and a ceasefire. 'Thailand is both a traditional friend of China and a traditional ally of the United States, while Cambodia has close ties with China.' 03:41 Thai government hangs by thread as leaked phone call shreds PM Paetongtarn's credibility Thai government hangs by thread as leaked phone call shreds PM Paetongtarn's credibility The assessment follows a report in the Bangkok-based news site The Nation on Friday quoting Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen as saying that his country had weapons 'that can reach Bangkok'.