This is an AI-generated summary and may contain errors. Be sure to read the full article for context.
The incident occurred around 3 a.m. on May 24, and AI-generated video showed the building collapsing in broad daylight.
Claim: A video shows the collapse of a nine-story building under construction in Angeles City, Pampanga on May 24th.
evaluation: error
Why we fact-checked this: A video making this claim was posted on May 25, the day after the incident. As of this writing, it has 4.1 million views, 2,500 shares, and 851 comments.
The video shows clear footage of the collapsed building and reads:panyayarin di inaasahan (unexpected event), Building collapses. ”
The video’s caption also indicates that the incident took place in Pampanga. Most of the comments expressed concerns about the quality of the materials used in the building’s construction, while others called for accountability for the incident.
fact: This video was created using Google Veo, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that produces high-quality images and video, and does not show the actual video of the incident that occurred on May 24th.
A small Google Veo watermark will appear in the bottom right corner of the video. AI detection tool Hive Moderation also flagged this video as having a 98.8% chance of being generated by AI.
Drive recorder footage captured the building collapse, which occurred around 3 a.m., showing that it was still dark outside. However, the AI-generated video depicts the supposed incident as happening in broad daylight.
Latest death toll: Early on Sunday, May 24, a nine-story building under construction along Teodoro Street in Barangay Balibago collapsed, trapping workers under the rubble.
According to the latest reports, at least 27 people were killed in the incident. Authorities believe there may be more victims buried under the rubble, and the Fire Department, city response forces and the Philippine National Police continue search and recovery operations. (read: “Acalaco Earthquake”: Angeles City residents at nearby hotel recall building collapse)
The Department of Labor and Employment announced that it had issued a stop work order at the site in September 2025 due to multiple safety violations. The order was lifted after the construction company complied with the necessary corrective measures, the department said.
The cause of the incident is still under investigation, authorities said.
AI-generated fact checks: Rappler has previously debunked fake images and videos generated using artificial intelligence tools.
– Owen Toledo/Rappler.com
Owen Toledo is a graduate of Rappler’s Fact-Checking Mentoring Program. This fact check was reviewed by members of Rappler’s research team and senior editors. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
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