FACT CHECK: Ortonio’s ‘earpiece’ in VP trial photos is actually a piercing

The Senate impeachment court already debunked the viral photos circulating online as fake and AI-generated

AT A GLANCE

• Lemuel Ortonio, assistant chief of staff at the OVP, was falsely claimed to be wearing a two-way radio device during his Senate impeachment testimony.
• The Senate impeachment court confirmed that the image circulating online was altered using AI, and Ortonio was actually wearing a silver ear piercing.
• Senator Escudero emphasized that witnesses are prohibited from using any communication devices during testimony to prevent coaching.

This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors.

Claim: Lemuel Ortonio, assistant chief of staff at the Office of the Vice President (OVP), was seen wearing a two-way radio transmission device during his testimony before the Senate impeachment court in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: Facebook user Mac Sakay posted a video showing an alleged photo of Ortonio donning what appears to be an earpiece on his right ear.

Overlaid text on the video read, “This is not a hearing aid. This is a 2-way radio transmission device! Calling senator-judges, is this allowed? Maybe he is being coached from the outside using this gadget!”

The post garnered 1.1 million views, 7,500 reactions, 2,000 comments, and 1,900 shares as of writing.

Many commenters believe the claim, with some speculating that Ortonio was using the device for spying, while others said it looked like a hearing aid.

The photo has also been circulating in other posts, with many social media users questioning its authenticity.

The facts: Instead of an earpiece, Ortonio had a silver ear piercing on the front-fold helix of his right ear. The circulating photo supposedly showing him with an earpiece was altered through artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

The Senate impeachment court debunked the image as false on September 1, Day 20 of the impeachment trial, with presiding officer Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero confirming that Ortonio had no earpiece or any similar device while testifying the previous week.

“Hindi totoo ‘yung mga lumalabas na litrato na diumano mayroong earpiece si Mr. Ortonio, ‘yun po ay AI. What he had was an ear piercing in the front fold helix of his ear, not an earpiece,” said Escudero. 

(The photos circulating online that Mr. Ortonio was purportedly wearing an earpiece were false. It was AI-generated. What he had was an ear piercing in the front fold helix of his ear, not an earpiece.)

Escudero added that witnesses are prohibited from receiving any form of communications inside or outside of the court until they are formally discharged. He also directed court personnel to secure witnesses’ electronic devices before taking the stand. 

“Accordingly, no witness while testifying shall possess, have access to, or use any earpiece, headsets, cellphones, smart watch, smart glasses or any other similar device capable of transmitting or receiving information or communication,” he said.

During the trial, Ortonio, a hostile witness, testified about the timeline, handling, and overall process involving the OVP’s confidential funds. During the prosecution’s direct examination, he confirmed that Duterte requested P125 million in confidential funds without a written plan in place beforehand.

AI-altered photo: The photo of Ortonio during the trial was altered to make it appear that he was wearing an earpiece.

The circulating image was cropped to focus on the supposed device, but AI detection tool SightEngine flagged the uncropped version as 99% likely to be AI-generated. It also received a score of 99.9% AI from HiveDetect.

No ‘coaching’: The ‘no coaching’ rule has been brought up during the Vice President’s impeachment trial, which is now in its ninth week.

During the trial on September 1, Escudero issued this reminder to Armed Forces of the Philippines Colonel Manaros Boransing II when he tried to consult his army lawyers during a direct examination.

The week before, public prosecutor and Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua said OVP Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta, a hostile witness, showed signs of being coached because her answers seemed rehearsed. – Eirene Manatlao/Rappler.com 

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