FALSE. Social media posts claim that relatives of drug war victims were carrying expensive designer bags, implying they were “paid off” by the Duterte administration.
FACT. The image is digitally altered. The genuine photo from the original press conference shows the women holding nothing.
The viral photo features Rubilyn Litao (Rise Up for Life and for Rights coordinator) and relatives Sheerah Escudero and Llore Pasco. ONE News’ February 22, 2026, coverage clearly shows them without designer bags.
Fact checks by Agence France-Presse and local media confirm that the viral photo was manipulated. Rights lawyer Maria Sol Taule and ICC-accredited lawyer Kristina Conti denounced the image as disinformation, clarifying that the families were never “paid off.”
The misinformation circulated during former president Duterte’s International Criminal Court pre-trial hearing (February 23-27, 2026), which examined alleged targeting of the poor in the anti-drug campaign. Coverage by News5, GMA News, Inquirer.net, and ANC shows no evidence of designer bags.
