Sinulog video misused as Davao City rally for Duterte

Footage from Cebu City’s Sinulog Festival last January has been misrepresented in a TikTok video as a Davao City gathering of supporters of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

The 32-second reel posted on March 30 by user @ruditocadagjr shows a street packed with people with the overlaid text:

Ganito ka solid ang tatak DU30👊(This is how solid DU30 is👊) 👊we love you tatay Digong👊 

The video’s caption said:

Grabi nakaka panindig balahibo ang crowd ng DU30 solid supporters (The crowd of DU30 solid supporters sent shivers down my spine) we love you tatay, and all solid DU30 👊👊👊 #DU30👊🇵🇭 #weloveyou #solidu30hangganghuli👊👊🇵🇭🇵🇭

The video indicated that the “event” took place in Davao City. 

A reverse image search led to a  Jan. 18 video of the Sinulog festival in Cebu posted by Facebook content creator Cindy Cinco who has 6.8 million followers. Cinco and  other personalities, including actor Ian Veneracion, were on a float representing a local Cebu food brand. Her post had garnered 134,000 reactions and 2,600 shares.

Google Maps’ street view shows the location matches Fuente Osmeña Circle in Cebu City.  

A comparison of landmarks in the video (left) and Google Maps street view (right)

ABS CBN reported that more than 5.2 million individuals participated in this year’s Sinulog, an annual religious and cultural festival honoring  the Sto. Nino.

Former President Duterte has been detained in The Hague, Netherlands since March 12, 2025 while awaiting trial before the International Criminal Court over charges of crimes against humanity linked to his bloody war on drugs. 

As of writing, @ruditocadagjr’s video has gained 105,000 views, 14,600 likes and 777 comments. The account, which posts mostly political content in support of the Duterte family, was created last Feb. 10.

The misleading video was also crossposted on Facebook by a page called Pinoy Politics TV where it has gained more than 2,500 views. (GO)