A viral Facebook post claiming that Senators Kiko Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros posed with the suspects in the June 22 school shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban is false.
The post features images appearing to show the two senators sitting beside the suspects and imply that Pangilinan and Hontiveros know, support, or are somehow connected to them. However, the post provides no evidence of any relationship between the senators and the suspects.
The images themselves are digitally manipulated. The photos of the suspects were taken from news reports covering the Tacloban shooting and were later altered using generative artificial intelligence tools to insert the likenesses of Pangilinan and Hontiveros into the pictures. There is no evidence that either senator has met or has any connection to the suspects.
The altered images surfaced as online discussions intensified over the juvenile justice system after reports that both suspects are minors. Pangilinan has long advocated for strengthening children’s rights and has consistently opposed proposals to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility. He has argued that children in conflict with the law should undergo rehabilitation and be protected from exploitation rather than be treated as adult offenders.
The viral posts falsely exploit this stance to insinuate that Pangilinan and Hontiveros are personally linked to the suspects. No evidence supports this claim.
