Fabricated news article frames Duterte's arrest as obstacle to Russia-Ukraine ceasefire

After Rodrigo Duterte was brought to look a crimes against humanity complaint astatine the International Criminal Court (ICC), a fabricated quality nonfiction claiming Russia was "refusing bid talks" with Ukraine due to the fact that of the erstwhile Philippine president's detention circulated connected Facebook. Its expected writer told AFP she did not constitute the nonfiction and the purported quality study -- illustrated with an AI-generated representation -- contains respective factual inaccuracies.

"Friends don't wantonness friends," reads portion of the caption to screenshots of a purported quality nonfiction shared connected Facebook connected March 17, 2025.

The screenshots were shared connected the verified leafage of a candidate for May's mid-term elections (archived link).

According to the expected quality report, titled "Putin Refuses Peace Talks Over Duterte's ICC Detention successful Ukraine Negotiations", Russian President Vladimir Putin said helium "will not beryllium astatine a array to sermon bid portion a person who stood with america is shackled by a tribunal that serves Western interests".

An representation appearing to amusement Duterte and Putin shaking hands accompanies the purported article, which is followed by a Wikipedia introduction for its expected author.

The station circulated aft Duterte was arrested and transferred to The Hague to look a crimes against humanity complaint stemming from his "war connected drugs" that claimed the lives of thousands of mostly mediocre men, often without impervious they were linked to drugs (archived link).

Duterte erstwhile called Putin "his hero" and made 2 authoritative visits to Russia during his presidency (archived here and here)

Putin besides has a lasting apprehension warrant issued by the ICC successful 2023 for crimes related to his country's warfare against Ukraine (archived link).

Similar posts were shared elsewhere connected Facebook, and were besides translated into Tagalog.

"Thank you President Putin for this. We beryllium you this one. That's wherefore from the commencement I genuinely respect you due to the fact that you person the aforesaid extremity arsenic Father Digong," work a remark connected 1 of the posts, utilizing a nickname for Duterte.

Another remark read: "Thank you president Putin. The Filipino radical salute you."

'Fabricated quality article'

The writer whose byline appears astatine the bottommost of the purported article, Abby Martin, told AFP she did not constitute it (archived link). 

"No, I did not constitute this nonfiction nor person I ever written thing similar," she said connected March 26. "It appears that the full happening is AI-generated."

A reappraisal of the purported nonfiction besides shows it contains respective factual inaccuracies.

For example, it claims Putin made his remarks during a property league successful Moscow with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko connected Saturday, March 15.

But Putin's associated property league with Lukashenko, where a US-Ukraine program for a 30-day ceasefire was discussed, successful information took spot on Thursday, March 13 (archived present and here).

Moreover, a cheque of the associated property conference's authoritative transcript shows determination was nary notation of Duterte oregon the ICC proceedings (archived link).

The representation of Putin and Duterte shaking hands that accompanies the nonfiction besides appears to beryllium AI-generated and bears the watermark for X's AI chatbot Grok (archived link).

Siwei Lyu, manager of the University astatine Buffalo's Media Forensics Lab successful the United States, told AFP determination are besides different elements successful the representation that suggest it was created by AI (archived link).

"There are disposable artifacts astir the handshake and noticeable issues with Putin’s eyes, which look unnatural. The thumb besides looks distorted, further suggesting signs of integer generation," helium said connected March 27.

Duterte's apprehension connected March 11 has spawned a flood of misinformation, immoderate of which AFP has debunked here.