FACT CHECK: Video of Pampanga lawmaker admitting to receiving kickbacks is AI-manipulated

Claim: In a video, Pampanga 3rd District Representative Mica Gonzales addressed allegations that she received a suitcase containing kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects, saying she did not ask for the money and that it was only given to her.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The post bearing the claim was made by a personal blog page named “Pedro n Juan,” which has a following of 16,000 users. As of writing, the video has amassed more than 10,000 reactions, 5,000 comments, and 7,000 shares.

In the video, Gonzales addressed allegations made by 18 individuals identifying themselves as former Marines. They claimed that they allegedly delivered millions worth of kickbacks from flood control projects to numerous government officials and lawmakers, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

The video shows Gonzales supposedly saying, “About sa maleta issue, sige sasagutin ko iyan para matapos na. Binigay naman ‘yun eh, hindi naman natin hiningi ‘yun. Hindi lang po tayo ‘yung tumanggap ng maleta, huwag po sana sa akin lang ibaling ang atensyon.”

(About the suitcase issue, okay, I’ll answer that to get it over with. It was given to me, I didn’t ask for it. I’m not the only one who accepted the suitcase, so please don’t single me out.)

The facts: The video is AI-manipulated. It used frames from Gonzales’ official video announcement in October 2025 about a barangay medical mission in partnership with the Department of Health.

Results from the AI detection tool Sightengine showed inconsistencies in the frames of the manipulated video. One frame in particular registered a score of 37% likelihood of being AI-generated. 

Hive Moderation also flagged the video, with certain frames reaching a score of 92.4% likely to be AI-generated.

Gonzales has also debunked the authenticity of the circulating video, saying, “I am aware of a manipulated video currently circulating. I want to be clear: this video is a complete fabrication. It is 100% a deepfake.”

In a video on March 7, Gonzales showed a side-by-side comparison of the original clip and the altered version. The lawmaker also cautioned viewers not to fall for convincing deepfakes and AI-generated content, especially when used to destroy reputation, deceive people, and spread false information.

Gonzales recently authored House Bill No. 7903, which seeks to penalize people who use AI for digital fraud and malicious deepfakes.

‘Maleta’ issue: On February 24, lawyer Levi Baligod claimed in a press conference that Marcos was the mastermind of the supposed delivery of P805 billion worth of alleged kickbacks to various politicians. 

He introduced a group of 18 individuals who identified themselves as former Marines. The group claimed they had worked as security for former lawmaker Zaldy Co and that they supposedly transported cash to government officials and lawmakers.

Malacañang and other personalities named by the group have denied the accusations.

The National Bureau of Investigation has subpoenaed the 18 individuals and several other personalities as part of its investigation into the allegations.

Debunked: Since the emergence of the flood control scandal, Rappler has fact-checked numerous false claims that have circulated online:

• FACT CHECK: Marcos not resigning following flood control corruption rallies
• FACT CHECK: Video of Romualdez, officials admitting fund misuse is AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: AI-manipulated clip misrepresents Zaldy Co video on flood control scandal
• FACT CHECK: Video of Zaldy Co alleging selective prosecution is AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: VP Sara not named ‘mastermind’ in flood control corruption by Bong Revilla

– Lourence Angelo Marcellana/Rappler.com

Lourence Angelo Marcellana is a volunteer. He is a fourth-year journalism student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the former Editor-in-Chief of PUP College of Communication’s The Communicator.

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