FACT CHECK: Viral image of ‘Farmers of Davao’ AI-generated

admin 8:19 PM

CLAIM: A Facebook post showing a group of men identified as “Farmers of Davao,” holding a sign reading “Leni-Marcos kami sa 2028,” implying political support from farmers in Davao.

 

RATING: FALSE

 

An AI-generated image falsely depicting farmers from Davao campaigning for a supposed presidential tandem between President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and former vice president Leni Robredo circulated online.

Flagged Content:  The post shows men at a farm field holding a cardboard sign that reads, “Farmers of Davao Leni-Marcos kami sa 2028.”  

  • A watermark reading “LEOJOTNETROP” also appears on the lower portion of the image. The post gained thousands of reactions, comments, and shares. It is presented as a real photo of farmers expressing political support.

Our debunk: The image reveals several visual inconsistencies typical of AI-generated content. The text on the cardboard sign is unnaturally uniform, with letters of consistent thickness and alignment, even across the folds. The hands holding the sign look slightly distorted or fused, a common issue in AI-generated images.

  • No verified news organization has published the photo as evidence of a real gathering of farmers supporting a “Leni-Marcos” ticket.
  • Reverse image searches conducted through Google Images, TinEye, and Yandex did not produce earlier versions of the image from credible sources or news reports documenting the supposed event.
  • Tools using ZeroGPT flagged the image as likely AI-generated (97% probability, high confidence)

​​Why we fact-checked this: The image has gained significant traction on social media, with users sharing it as evidence of alleged grassroots political backing in Davao in anticipation of the 2028 elections. The post has drawn more than 17,000 reactions, over 6,000 comments, and hundreds of shares, indicating strong reach and engagement. 

  • The image is being shared as evidence of grassroots political support in Davao. The post presents the image as real, without context or verification. Similar visuals can mislead users and shape public perception, especially in political discussions

Spot the fake: AI tools are becoming increasingly adept at creating lifelike images. Yet they frequently produce minor visual flaws, including warped fingers, unrealistic text rendering, and inconsistencies in lighting or background design.

  • Authentic-looking images can effectively propagate misleading narratives, particularly in politically charged discussions.
  • A reverse image search can help determine whether a photo was uploaded before or altered.
  • Use readily available AI detection tools to help verify suspicious images. Patricia Alvarado


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