FACT CHECK: ICC judges did not walk out during Joel Butuyan’s opening statement

Claim: Judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) walked out during the opening statement of lawyer Joel Butuyan on the first day of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearing at The Hague, Netherlands.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim made by the Pinoy Showbiz page on Facebook has been spreading quickly across social media platforms. Multiple accounts have reposted screenshots of the post in what appears to be a coordinated effort to amplify the narrative to their respective followers.

The post features a social media card with Butuyan’s photo and the text, “Breaking News: Puro kasi kadramahan! (It’s all just drama!) Filipino lawyer Joel Butuyan humiliated on global stage as ICC judges walk out and yank his mic?”

The post was dated February 23, the first day of Duterte’s pre-trial hearing. Butuyan, an ICC-accredited lawyer, delivered a statement before the Pre-Trial Chamber I on behalf of the victims of the Duterte drug war as one of their common legal representatives. 

The facts: The judges did not walk out during Butuyan’s opening remarks. His speech was interrupted at 11 am for a scheduled 30-minute court break.

“Thank you very much, counsel. We will now take a half-hour break as provided for in the schedule and you shall resume your remarks at 11:30 [am]. These are the rules that are set in the schedule, which was set in Paragraph 18 of the decision,” Presiding Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc said before the chamber went into recess.

Based on the schedule of Duterte’s four-day pre-trial hearings, a 30-minute break was set between the first and second sessions of the day.

Following this announcement, the judges exited the courtroom to observe the break. This departure was not a “walkout,” contrary to the claim.

Butuyan resumed his remarks after the break, where he spoke on the culture of impunity in the Philippines and the continuing threats faced by families of drug war victims. He also said the case against the former strongman at the ICC is the last resort for the victims to hold him accountable.

“This case symbolically represents the last boat the victims can board to go on a journey in search of justice for their loved ones who were brutally killed upon the orders of Mr. Duterte,” Butuyan said. (READ: Duterte’s ICC pre-trial: What prosecution, victims, defense say about the drug war)

Another brief pause occurred when Butuyan was notified that he had five minutes left to conclude his remarks.

Neither instance involved a “walkout” by the judges or of the Filipino lawyer’s mic allegedly being yanked away. 

Duterte before the ICC: Duterte, who was arrested in March 2025, faces charges of crimes against humanity before the ICC over alleged killings committed during his administration’s brutal war on drugs.

The former president’s pre-trial hearing resumed on Thursday, February 26, after a one-day recess. On the third day, the defense will have its turn in presenting its submission on the merits of the case. The final session on Friday will include closing statements of the prosecution, defense, and the common legal representatives of the victims. (SPECIAL COVERAGE: Duterte’s pre-trial hearing at the ICC)

During the first two days of hearings, the prosecution detailed how Duterte was allegedly at the top of the command line in enforcing a state policy of killing alleged drug users and peddlers. (READ: Insider witnesses: Duterte drug war victims ‘had to be the poor’)

Duterte’s defense team, meanwhile, argued that the charges were politically motivated and that the former strongman’s inflammatory remarks about the killings were just hyperbole. (HIGHLIGHTS: Day 1 of Duterte pre-trial) – Princess Leah Sagaad/Rappler.com

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