FACT CHECK: Photo showing relatives of drug war victims holding designer bags is altered

Claim: A photo shows a human rights advocate and relatives of those killed in the Duterte administration’s drug war carrying expensive designer bags. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The photo has been circulating on various social media channels, with the most popular one garnering 77,000 reactions, 19,000 shares, and 16,000 comments on Facebook as of writing. Cathy Binag, a pro-Duterte social media personality, posted the photo on her page, which has 293,000 followers, and tagged other popular Duterte supporters.

The viral photo features three women: Rubilyn Litao, coordinator of the alliance Rise Up for Life and for Rights, and Llore Pasco and Sheerah Escudero, relatives of the drug war victims. They are shown carrying Louis Vuitton and Moynat bags, which, according to the text in the photo, can cost as much as P280,000.

“Akala ko ba mahirap ang mga biktima ng EJK (kuno). Dame pera mayaman? “If” authentic… But! Nasa Europe eh! So bawal magdala ng fake don! Mukha at katawan lang pwede,” Binag writes in her post’s caption.

(I thought the victims of extrajudicial killings are supposed to be poor (or so they say). “If” these are authentic… but they’re in Europe! So they can’t bring anything fake there! Only fake faces and bodies are allowed.)

The misleading post was made following the second day of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s pre-trial hearing, in which the prosecution, citing insider information, said the Duterte drug war operations targeted the poor “because they were the ones least likely to file complaints against the police.”

Other Facebook users are resharing the same photo in pro-Duterte Facebook groups, as well as on their Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) accounts.

The facts: The viral photo is edited. The genuine photo was posted by ONE News on February 22, and it shows that the women were not holding anything when the photo was taken.

ONE News’ caption says the photo was taken during a press conference a day before the start of Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearings at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Livestreams and photos of the press conference on ONE News, News5, GMA News, Inquirer.net, and ANC do not show these alleged designer bags either.

Rappler’s coverage of Duterte at the ICC has also featured Litao, Escudero, and Pasco, but none of the photos and videos captured show them holding any such designer bags.

In a post on Wednesday, February 25, ONE News debunked the authenticity of the altered photo.

Human rights lawyer Maria Sol Taule, deputy secretary general of rights group Karapatan, called out the fake photo in a February 25 Facebook post. Lawyer Kristina Conti, ICC-accredited assistant to counsel, also slammed the fake photo as disinformation, adding, “The photo is intended to convince the public that the victims’ families have been paid off. They are not, and never have been.”

Troll attacks vs victims, critics: False claims attacking drug war victims’ families and critics have been going viral in the lead-up to Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearings, which run from February 23 to 27.

A day before Binag posted the fake photo, Rappler debunked another image that had been altered to make it seem like Ephraim Escudero, Sheerah’s brother, is still alive and only working abroad.

Conti, who represents some of the drug war victims, has also been a target of disinformation, including posts using fake quote cards attributing made-up statements to Conti.

Rappler has also debunked other ICC-related claims:

• FACT CHECK: ICC ruling on Duterte waiver misrepresented as decision on his release 
• FACT CHECK: Duterte not back in Davao amid confirmation of charges hearing 
• FACT CHECK: Quote card of Kristina Conti on death penalty is fake
• FACT CHECK: No ICC ruling allowing Duterte to return to PH wearing location tracker
• FACT CHECK: No proof of Duterte in ‘critical’ condition    

– Shay Du/Rappler.com

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