With Rodrigo Duterte on trial, his loyal keyboard warriors have found a new calling—becoming world-class purveyors of fake news. Forget coding boot camps; these netizens have mastered the dark arts of AI-generated statements, deepfake videos, and Photoshop disasters that would make even Microsoft Paint users cringe.

But here’s the irony: their frantic campaign to “protect” Duterte might just do the opposite. By flooding the internet with obviously doctored “evidence” and conspiracy theories wilder than a teleserye plot twist, they risk making the whole defense look like a circus. Judges and prosecutors sifting through a digital landfill of AI-generated nonsense might just throw out anything remotely connected to their cause.

And so, the Philippines solidifies its status as the world’s disinformation capital—proving that while talent is abundant, critical thinking is optional. Perhaps it’s time we invest in fact-checking seminars instead of fake news workshops.