Old news report misrepresented as 'proof' ICC dismissed Duterte case

Published on March 19, 2025 at 10:06
2 min read
By Ara Eugenio, AFP Philippines

Shortly after former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte's arrest over his war on drugs, his supporters falsely claimed the International Criminal Court (ICC) had dismissed its case against him due to a lack of sufficient evidence. But the social media posts misrepresent a 2023 news report about the court's rejection of an appeal by current President Ferdinand Marcos to halt its investigation into his predecessor's centrepiece programme.

"Proof that ICC dismissed its case against President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war," read Tagalog-language text over a Facebook reel posted March 12, 2025.

Text below the video, which racked up 9.3 million views before it was taken down, read: "Because the evidence presented to them was lacking and insufficient."

Screenshot of false post taken March 14, 2025

The post emerged a day after the 79-year-old Duterte was bundled onto a plane bound for The Hague to face a charge of committing crimes against humanity for his years-long campaign against drug users and dealers that rights groups have said killed thousands (archived link).

While the families of the victims have welcomed the trial, Duterte's supporters argue it was without legal basis and that he was "kidnapped" amid the unravelling of his camp's alliance with the ruling Marcos family.

Similar posts circulated across social media with comments from pro-Duterte users indicating they believed the ICC dismissed its case against the former president.

"They got scared of Donald Trump," one user said.

Another comment that used Duterte's popular nickname reads: "Thank God Father Digong can now go home."

But the news report has been misrepresented.

Report from 2023

Keyword searches on Google found the state-run People's Television Network (PTV) originally posted the video July 19, 2023 on YouTube (archived link).

"ICC Pre-Trial Chamber to push through with probe on alleged extra-judicial killings during drug war of Duterte admin," the title says.

The report details how Manila's appeal to block the reopening of the ICC's drug war investigation was rejected that year following a majority ruling by a five-judge bench.

Screenshot comparison between the video in the false post (L) and the original PTV report

The initial formal inquiry, which began in 2021, was paused two months into the investigation after Manila claimed it was conducting its own investigations (archived link).

The Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019 on Duterte's orders (archived link).

But the tribunal ruled it still had jurisdiction over killings that occurred before the country's pullout, as well as those in the southern city of Davao when Duterte was mayor.

AFP has debunked other claims about Duterte's arrest here.

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