FALSE: Fake photos of Duterte in Jolo

Claim:

The photos showing President Rodrigo Duterte during a visit to Jolo, Sulu following the twin bombings on August 24 were not of the real Duterte.

Using social media monitoring tool CrowdTangle, Rappler spotted a post on Facebook containing this claim shared on August 31. The post included two photos of Duterte on stage and claimed these were faked. As of writing, the post has had 191 shares, 159 reactions, and 44 comments.

Rating: FALSE

The facts:

Duterte did visit Jolo after the twin bombings that killed 14 people and wounded 75 others on August 24. His recorded speech was aired on August 30 and can be viewed here. (READ: Duterte visits Jolo after blasts, urges troops to ‘think about peace’)

In the video, Duterte can be seen wearing the same clothes as seen in the Facebook posts. The backdrop seen in the photos is also the same as the one in the video, as well as the design of the chairs on stage.

Higher resolution photos of Duterte during the Jolo visit can be viewed here on Senator Bong Go’s official Facebook account.

Several other legitimate news outlets also reported on Duterte’s visit to Sulu, including CNN Philippines, Inquirer.net, ABS-CBN News, Philstar.com, and GMA News. Other photos of Duterte from different angles during his visit can be found in these media outfits’ articles.

During the speech, Duterte honored the soldiers who died on the spot during the incident and vowed to support the military in its fight against terrorism. The transcript of Duterte’s full speech can be accessed here. 

Duterte kissed the ground of the bombing site and offered flowers during his visit. Reports also said Duterte decorated 15 soldiers with Wounded Personnel Medals, and awarded posthumous medals to the families of the killed soldiers after giving his speech. There were, however, no photos of him doing this unlike in the past. – Pauline Macaraeg/Rappler.com

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