Vice President Sara Duterte said an image of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, circulating on social media has been edited. — Contributed photo

MANILA, Philippines —  Vice President Sara Duterte has warned the public against a photo circulating on social media showing her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, lying in a hospital bed, as she said that he was “glowing” even though he lost a lot of weight.

“It’s not true that that’s his photo. That photo is not true; that photo was probably edited. That’s a different patient; they just changed the face of former President Duterte,” Sara said in Filipino.

According to the Vice President, her father is not in a hospital of the detention unit of the International Criminal Court (ICC) but in its regular wing.

“Earlier, he was walking alone. He was carrying a cane. So, clearly, he wasn’t sick,” she said.

Sara, meanwhile, said that her father lost a lot of weight, noting that “I’ve never seen him this thin except in a photo of him when he was young.”

Despite this, the former president’s face did not sag, according to the vice president.

“His face didn’t sag. Unlike all of us whose faces are sagging,” the vice president said.

“I was wondering. I told my mom, maybe there’s beauty inside, glowing but thin. That’s what I said too, maybe he’s just controlling his weight because he’s diabetic,” she added.

Sara likewise said that they can ask her father’s lawyer if the ICC can provide a bulletin with regard to the health of the former president and to release a photo of him.

Last March, former President Duterte was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and brought to the ICC headquarters to face allegations of crimes against humanity in connection to the war on drugs of his administration.

The hearing for his confirmation of charges is provisionally set for September 23, 2025.

According to the official government data, the drug war of the Duterte administration claimed at least 6,000 lives.