As families of drug war victims attend the ICC hearings in The Hague, a new attack line has appeared online. Instead of addressing the legal case, some Duterte-aligned pages are zooming in on handbags. The goal is to shift the focus from alleged extrajudicial killings of poor and defenseless Filipinos to “Mayaman pala sila?”
The top photo is the original. The one with supposed luxury bags is AI-altered. This matters because these altered images are meant to construct a narrative.
The mechanism has been perfected over time. First, distract. Second, plant doubt. Third, trigger class resentment. If people start arguing about Louis Vuittons instead of due process, the conversation has already been redirected.
It’s a credibility attack. Instead of disproving allegations of unlawful killings, the disinformation is meant to undermine the people raising them. It’s implied that if they can travel or own branded items, they must be fake, funded, or exaggerating.
But the ICC isn’t examining who owns what. It’s examining whether killings were systematic, whether due process was denied, and whether state power was abused. Handbags do not answer those questions.
For ordinary Filipinos, the response should be straightforward. Because really, who would take a photo at the ICC with luxury bags slung over their arms like they’re on a fashion shoot like Heart? It defies logic and rationality.
So verify images before reacting, recognize edited framing, and bring discussions back to principle. Justice is not income-based. Due process is not conditional on how someone dresses.
The hearings are about accountability. The handbag narrative is about distraction. Knowing the difference is crucial if we want true accountability for crimes against humanity unleashed under Rodrigo Duterte.
PS. Report the specific post as false information.
Ctto.