Mediating Corruption Through AI: A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of AI-Generated Political Images on the 2025 Flood Control Corruption Issue in the Philippines

Proponent/s Name/s (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

• Bien Miguel Cedric Suner Cabalu N/A, De La Salle UniversityFollow
• Aquilino Ravi Ezekiel A. Obligado, De La Salle University, ManilaFollow
• Klein Shydei B. Annon, De La Salle University, ManilaFollow
• Elyzza Ruelle V. Salido, De La Salle University, ManilaFollow

Document Types

Paper Presentation

Research Theme (for Paper Presentation and Poster Presentation submissions only)

Socio-Economic and Political Landscape (SPL)

School Name

De La Salle University, Manila

Track or Strand

Humanities and Social Science (HUMSS)

Research Advisor (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

Dalumbay, Ianelle Denise

Start Date

23-6-2026 1:30 PM

End Date

23-6-2026 3:00 PM

Zoom Link/ Room Assignment

DLSU Manila Campus (In-person) - Philippe Jones Lhullier Conference Room, 14th floor, Henry Sy Building

Abstract/Executive Summary

This study examines how AI-generated political images circulated on Facebook construct public meanings surrounding the 2025 Flood Control Corruption Issue in the Philippines. Using Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA), the research analyzes how visual elements and discursive strategies in AI-generated satire frame political actors, institutions, and issues of corruption. The study focuses on 113 AI-generated images collected from the Facebook page Edd AI Comedy, a page known for publishing satirical AI-generated political content. Drawing from Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis, Machin’s multimodal framework, and Barthes’ concepts of denotation and connotation, the study examines participants, settings, gaze, angle, color, and symbolic representations embedded within the images. Findings reveal that portrayals of corruption dominated the dataset, particularly through recurring motifs such as crocodiles, sacks of money, luxury items, and fragile infrastructure, which symbolized greed, incompetence, and misuse of public funds. The images consistently framed politicians and government institutions, especially the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), as responsible for failed flood control systems and public suffering. Reinterpretation, and humor and satire were also prevalent, with AI-generated distortions and absurd visual combinations intensifying political criticism and emotional engagement. However, themes of public resistance and community building were largely absent, suggesting that the images positioned citizens primarily as passive victims rather than active agents of accountability. Overall, the study demonstrates that AI-generated political imagery functions not only as entertainment but also as a sociopolitical tool that shapes public discourse, reinforces distrust in institutions, and amplifies political frustration through visually accessible and emotionally charged narratives.

Keywords

artificial intelligence, multimodal discourse analysis, corruption, AI-generated images, Philippine politics

Initial Consent for Publication

yes

Statement of Originality

yes