Inside the pro-Duterte playbook: A year of disinformation vs ICC case

Nearly a year after the International Criminal Court (ICC) ordered Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest on March 11, 2025, the road to the confirmation of his charges at The Hague in the Netherlands has become a tale of two worlds: facts vs. myths.

While legal experts argue over evidence of crimes against humanity, a daily flood of disinformation has turned the internet into a battleground for many Filipinos. These claims range from the far-fetched updates such as his release, a Davao homecoming, or even his death, to fake photos of massive statues built in his honor worldwide.

Though these claims vary, they follow the same pro-Duterte playbook: a deliberate effort to drown out ICC facts with manufactured myths. The goal is to blur the truth and fuel a groundswell of support for the former president.

In Rappler, out of a total of 540 fact-checks from March 2025 to February 2026, 107 fact-checks focused on the ICC case alone. This represents thousands of false claims debunked online, with a reach of hundreds of thousands to millions of views per post (READ: Engineered lies: How 2025’s disinformation machinery hijacks our collective reality).

Duterte’s release

Of the ICC-related fact-checks, claims regarding Duterte’s release topped the list with 42 unique claims and 15 fake quote cards spread across Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and websites posing as legitimate news outlets.

The false claims evolved from alleging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s involvement in the arrest to claiming Duterte’s return to Davao. To sell these lies, most posts used spliced videos, fake quote cards featuring characters from legal dramas, and photos of ICC prosecutors to falsely announce the case’s dismissal.

Coming in at second are fake court updates, with at least 29 unique claims debunked. These range from fabricated orders of world leaders demanding the ICC drop the case to fake testimonies of ICC judges supposedly suggesting Duterte’s innocence.

Rounding out the top three are attacks on jurisdiction and procedural law, with 26 unique claims spreading fake orders from the Philippine Supreme Court and the Senate. These false claims were consistently shared by pro-Duterte channels to falsely suggest that Philippine institutions had officially invalidated the ICC’s authority.

Disinformation networks

The problem extends beyond the lies to the accounts spreading them. YouTube channels such as Reaction TV PH with over 570,000 subscribers, and Pinoy Views & Opinion with nearly 1 million, have consistently boosted the disinformation tactics, attacking the ICC and the Marcos administration while shielding the Dutertes.

This ecosystem has also pivoted to AI-driven propaganda. Rappler identified at least 21 deepfake claims debunked in May 2025 alone, a surge that coincided with the midterm elections to benefit Duterte allies.

The disinformation doesn’t stop with the suspect; it also targets the victims. Accounts like Cathy Binag with over 290,00 Facebook followers have used deepfakes to defame families of drug war victims. 

A recent fact-check debunked a viral AI-generated photo showing drug war victims’ relatives holding luxury bags — an attempt to portray them as “paid” or rich. At least five other unique claims have been debunked for attacking the victims’ families, a tactic used to pivot from denying Duterte’s crimes to discrediting those seeking justice.

When other narratives fail, the playbook pulls its last card: claims of Duterte’s failing health or death. Since his detention in The Hague, nine unique fact-checks have debunked rumors that the he is near death or too frail for trial. 

While his supporters depict him as a weak old man unable to physically attend the ICC hearings , the Court has repeatedly confirmed through medical assessments that he is fit to undergo the proceedings.

As the pre-trial hearings at The Hague continue to reveal more details of the case, a fresh wave of ICC-related disinformation is swarming social media. Rappler remains on the lookout to debunk these shifting narratives and deliver factual reporting. We will update this report as more false claims surface.

To stay informed on the latest developments from The Hague, follow Rappler’s special coverage of the Duterte ICC pre-trial here. – Rappler.com