A while back, the Department of Health posted photos of widely-criticized Secretary Francisco Duque and his team donating test kits and other supplies from the national government to the local government of Navotas City. One image however, took rounds on Facebook as people commented on how obviously manipulated it looked. All saying how the skin tone of his hand is different from the rest of his arm, how it looks like his hand is just floating, or how the lighting is just off. To the public eye, it really looked manipulated.

On Twitter, Secretary Duque addressed the allegations by posting more photos taken during the day in question. He tweeted, “…To put an end to it, here are more photos showing that I attended the event with Cong John Rey, Sec Vince, Usec Bong, Dir Paz and the rest of my team.” Proving it wasn’t digitally manipulated after all and disproving accusations thrown the official’s way of pretending to join the official function.

People online are claiming that one of my photos during a coordination meeting with Cong Tiangco in Navotas City was edited.

To put an end to it, here are more photos showing that I attended the event with Cong John Rey, Sec Vince, Usec Bong, Dir Paz and the rest of my team. pic.twitter.com/zbRKK1QKSL

— Francisco T. Duque III (@SecDuque) August 6, 2020

This isn’t the first time the Internet has cried foul over what appears to be images that attempt to manipulate public psyche. This recent incident reminds us of the time, also during the government-imposed quarantine, when controversial senator, Cynthia Villar was caught doing the same thing when alleged Photoshopped images of her surfaced on her official social media postings, where she made it seem as though she was physically present in the turnover of equipment for a COVID-19 Laboratory in Las Piñas. Only this time, even to the untrained eye, what the photos show are a bit more than just allegations.

LOOK: Allegedly photoshopped images of Sen. Cynthia Villar – which made it seem like the lawmaker was physicaly present in the turnover of equipment for Las Piñas’ #COVID19 laboratory – were posted on her official Facebook page. As of 7:26 pm, the photos have been taken down. pic.twitter.com/cLJKOfUxf6

— Kat Domingo (@_katrinadomingo) July 1, 2020

Or the time when DPWH posted a clearly manipulated image of its officials assessing Manila’s seawall which was damaged by a typhoon on Facebook in 2011. 

Instances like these play with the public’s trust largely because the news they expect to see from elected and appointed officials would be truthful (as it should be), but it turns out to be the opposite. If this keeps on happening, nobody can’t really blame the public for doubting on news or posted photos of government officials on social media. Thus, widening the gap between the ruler and the ruled–the government from its people.

See for example a recent photo of President Rodrigo Duterte following the announcement of his “perpetual isolation”, showing how alive he is while having a meal with his family. Some comments expressed their doubts on the validity of the said photo, having to go through the lengths of explaining how it’s not real. As netizens pointed out, if there’s a need to explain or show proof, it shows that there is a problem.

Whether or not it will be proven that the photo is real or not, these debates on the legitimacy and truthfulness of government posts it make us think of a much deeper problem. What do officials prove and gain by manipulating themselves in photos? Rather than building connections especially in times of crisis as this, it becomes a basis for distrust, scarring the core of good governance. What happens to those who cannot see the seemingly small but significant discrepancies?

Right now, as we’ve been witnessing, we all know that public officials will do anything to make themselves look good. That’s why it’s important to raise issues of falsification and misinformation as much as possible because really, what will the officials gain from this act besides playing with the public’s trust?