Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is standing his ground after being called out online for posting a video that appeared to be generated by artificial intelligence (AI), saying the message it conveyed still resonates with him.
The controversy began when the senator shared a clip featuring two supposed students defending Vice President Sara Duterte against impeachment. Though the original post was marked with the hashtag #AI, Dela Rosa reposted it with praise for the youth, writing, “Mabuti pa ang mga bata, nakakaintindi sa mga pangyayari. Makinig kayo, mga yellow at mga komunista!”
When netizens pointed out that the video was AI-generated and criticized him for spreading misleading content, Dela Rosa responded with a dismissive tone. “Umatake kayo, mga trolls! Kumbate! Loslos ninyo!” he wrote, sparking even more backlash.
Despite calls for him to be more responsible as a public official, the senator remained unapologetic. He argued that regardless of whether the video was real or synthetic, the message still carried weight. “Sabi ko kung AI man ‘yan, may punto ang gumawa. Kung hindi ‘yan AI, may punto ang mga bata na nagsasalita. Either way, the point is very clear and I agree with that point,” he said.
In another statement, Dela Rosa mocked his critics, saying, “The trolls think they can influence Filipinos to take their side. Ha ha ha, you fools! Help, neighbors! I’m being attacked by yellow and communist trolls! Don’t help by fighting, just help by laughing.”
His post has since attracted more than 33,900 reactions and nearly 3,000 shares, showing the wide reach—and sharp division—it stirred among online audiences.
