
The Philippines has been plagued by a surge in disinformation, with AI-generated content playing a significant role in fueling tensions between rival political camps. The controversy began when former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in March, sparking a bitter power struggle between his supporters and those of incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Sheerah Escudero, whose brother Ephraim was killed during Duterte’s war on drugs, was shocked to find an AI-generated video of her brother circulating on Facebook, claiming he was alive and accusing her of lying. The video, posted by a pro-Duterte influencer, drew thousands of views and sparked widespread harassment against Escudero. “I wake up to hundreds of notifications and hate messages,” she said, highlighting the devastating impact of disinformation on her life.
The use of AI-generated content has become a hallmark of the digital smear campaigns waged by both sides. However, fact-checkers and experts attribute the recent uptick in disinformation to the Duterte camp, which aims to discredit the ICC and demonize their detractors. Danilo Arao, a mass media expert, noted that the Duterte camp would “resort to disinformation to get what they want, even if it means twisting certain data.”
The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) has condemned the online hate directed at widows, mothers, and daughters of drug war victims, saying it is an attempt to “intimidate them into silence.” Both NUPL and Rise Up, a group of drug war victims, have formally requested the government to investigate the increasing online harassment.
The surge in disinformation has caused widespread concern among Filipinos, with nearly 7 out of 10 expressing worry about the issue. The government has launched a task force to mitigate disinformation and the use of AI, but experts say more needs to be done to address the problem. “This is a problem of human behavior, not AI,” said Carljoe Javier, executive director of Data and AI Ethics PH. “It’s a disinformation influence operations problem, exacerbated by the unethical usage of AI tools.”
The use of AI in disinformation campaigns has raised concerns about the impact on the country’s democracy. Joel Ariate Jr, a researcher tracking political developments, noted that AI can amplify disinformation, allowing politicians to generate multiple versions of a message and spread it quickly. “If you have the resources and the bully pulpit of the government, you can afford to keep on swatting the Dutertes and their partisans for whatever statements they have made against the Marcos government,” he said.
As the Philippines grapples with the challenges of disinformation, experts call for a healthy policy approach that prioritizes ethics and accountability. Javier emphasized the need for technical and ethical experts to be involved in policymaking, saying it is crucial for addressing the issue. However, he expressed doubts about the government’s appetite for ethical AI legislation, given the potential benefits they may derive from the current state of political operations.