MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte downplayed concerns over the spread of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content, saying there’s no problem in sharing such material — as long as it’s not monetized.

Duterte made the remarks in a press conference in Davao City, following backlash against Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and her brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, for posting a digitally altered video online that appeared to show student support for the vice president amid impeachment talks.

“There’s probably no problem with sharing AI-generated videos that support me, as long as it’s not turned into a business,” Duterte said in Filipino.

“If I were a social media user who creates AI content to support a certain personality, there’s nothing wrong with that — I’m not selling a product to people,” she added.

Her comments came after critics slammed Dela Rosa and Mayor Duterte for circulating the video, which featured two supposed students explaining why they were against impeaching the vice president. Despite visual and auditory signs of artificial generation, the video was shared with captions suggesting it was genuine.

It said that Dela Rosa even praised the clip on social media, writing, “Mabuti pa ang mga bata, nakakaintindi sa mga pangyayari. Makinig kayo, mga yellow at mga komunista!”

In a report, it said his post was tagged with “#AI,” an apparent nod to the video’s origins, yet many netizens still expressed frustration that a sitting senator failed to distinguish it from authentic footage.

Online users quickly pointed out the video’s synthetic nature and criticized the senator for amplifying misleading content. Dela Rosa, however, brushed off the remarks and dismissed his critics as mere “trolls.”

While Duterte’s defense of AI-generated content may appear harmless on the surface, the timing and tone of her remarks raised eyebrows among observers who warn against the normalization of synthetic media, especially when used by top public officials to shape public perception.

Malacañang reminded public officials to be extra cautious in sharing information online after Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and reportedly Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte posted an AI-generated video about the supposed impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said the spread of false information becomes more alarming when it originates from high-ranking government officials.

“Mas nakakabahala kung mismo sa matataas na opisyal nanggagaling ang ganitong uri ng impormasyon,” Castro said during a Palace briefing. “Ang pagsi-share ng mga katulad na ganiyan, muli, disinformation, fake news, hindi po sana nanggagaling sa mga opisyal ng pamahalaan.”

The AI-generated video, which has circulated widely on social media, falsely claimed that Vice President Duterte was facing impeachment—prompting concern from media groups, netizens, and disinformation watchdogs. While the Palace did not name the officials involved, Castro’s remarks came shortly after reports confirmed the video had been shared by Dela Rosa and Baste Duterte.