"Duterte is arrested and Marcos is in big trouble," reads a simplified Chinese Weibo post shared on March 15, 2025.
"Millions of Filipinos took to the streets to support Lao Du," it adds, using the Chinese nickname for the former Philippine leader. "How should this farce created by the Marcos government end?"
Attached to the post is aerial footage of an avenue filled with white-shirted marchers, followed by a clip of people gathered to express support for the former leader.
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Screenshot of the false Weibo post, captured on March 17, 2025
Similar posts also surfaced in X and Douyin after Duterte was arrested in Manila and transported to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on March 12 (archived link).
The 79-year-old faces a crime against humanity charge stemming from his years-long crackdown on narcotics that rights groups estimate killed tens of thousands of mostly poor men, often without proof they were linked to drugs.
Local media citing Philippine police figures reported over 50 rallies were staged following Duterte's arrest, drawing in around 50,000 demonstrators (archived here and here).
An AFP journalist in Manila identified the location of the circulating video as a section of Roxas Boulevard in the capital (archived link).
But as of March 19, no official report indicates a rally against Duterte's arrest was staged there and attended by millions as the false posts allege.
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Screenshot comparison of the Weibo post (left) and the corresponding location on Google Maps (right)
A keyword search found a corresponding aerial video published by the Manila Public Information Office on January 13, two months before Duterte was arrested (archived link).
"Current situation along Roxas Boulevard and the surrounding areas of Quirino Grandstand and Rizal Park as of 11 AM today, January 13, for the 'National Rally for Peace' of the Iglesia Ni Cristo," its caption reads.
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Screenshot comparison of the Weibo post (left, centre) and footage from the Manila Public Information Office (right) with similarities highlighted by AFP
More than a million members of the influential religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo gathered in Manila on January 13, AFP reported (archived link).
They were opposing steps to unseat Duterte's daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte.
Crowds wearing white shirts flocked to Manila's Quirino Grandstand for the rally. Schools, government offices and major roads were closed for the event.
AFP has debunked other misinformation sparked by Duterte's arrest here, here and here.