FACT CHECK: Cayetano siblings did not flee PH; post uses old airport photo

The misleading post uses a photo taken last July to falsely claim that the Cayetanos have fled; both senators have been present in recent Senate sessions The claim that Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano have fled the country to avoid charges is false. No evidence supports the claim, as the senators have been seen at public events and were present in the Senate session on August 19. The misleading post gained traction online, but the photo used was from a previous date and enhanced with AI, contributing to the misinformation. This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors. Claim: Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano have fled the country; they were photographed at an airport this August. Rating: FALSE Why we fact-checked this: The claim was posted by a Facebook user on August 19. It has now reached more than 1,700 reactions, 600 comments, and 300 shares as of writing. The post shows a photo of the Cayetano siblings allegedly preparing for travel at an airport. The caption reads, “Breaking! Did they also left [sic] the country? Something is not right. But if minority senators are leaving the country in haste they’re guilty. Seems these guys are afraid to face the music. Its [sic] coming by the waves. Whether they like it or not. Prison time for monies corrupted from the people. Funds for public services went directly to their personal accounts. Mga magnanakaw (thieves).” Users online accused the two of fleeing the country to avoid the impending filing of charges against them. Some claim that the Cayetanos are the latest addition to the list of senators and public officials who are either absent from duty or have fled the country to escape charges. The facts: The Cayetanos have not left the country. The two have been seen in public events after the posting of the false claim, as shown through posts on their social media accounts. The two senators were present during the Senate’s regular session on August 19, the same day the false claim was posted. More recently, both were also present at the upper chamber’s plenary session on August 24. Vera Files, in its fact check article, identified the photo used in the circulating post as originating from a video of the siblings taken by a Facebook user on July 19, 2026. The posted frame was enhanced with AI. Analysis from the online tool Sightengine scored the photo at 99% likelihood of AI use. Absences from Senate session, impeachment trial: The misleading post circulated following Alan Peter’s absences from Vice President Sara Duterte’s trial and the Senate’s sessions since August 11. He had been unwell, according to his sister, Pia. The Senate minority leader returned in the plenary session on August 19, during which committee assignments for minority bloc senators was formalized. The false claim surfaced at a time when other senators have been absent from the upper chamber. Senator Loren Legarda and her son, Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste, left the country on August 2, days after plunder and graft complaints were filed against them by the Ombudsman. Legarda has since extended her medical leave to September 2. Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa remains in hiding after fleeing the Senate on May 14. He is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over his alleged involvement in the Duterte administration’s bloody drug war. Meanwhile, Senators Rodante Marcoleta and Jinggoy Estrada are both detained at the New Quezon City Jail. Marcoleta surrendered on July 6 after the Sandiganbayan ordered his arrest over plunder charges involving his alleged failure to declare P75 million in campaign donations. Estrada was arrested by the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group at the Senate on June 2 over plunder and graft charges. – Lourence Angelo Marcellana/Rappler.com Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time. How does this make you feel? Loading