SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST | Published March 19, 2025
Duterte’s ICC arrest sparked a wave of disinformation, with fake news and fabricated quotes flooding Philippine social media, potentially affecting his interim release
Even before the aircraft left Manila, Duterte loyalists began circulating fake stories, including claims that the Philippine Supreme Court had granted a temporary restraining order to halt his transfer.
Their fabrications grew bolder from there. When the former president appeared before ICC judges on March 14 for an initial hearing, his supporters falsely claimed the case had been dismissed, when in fact the judges swiftly set his first hearing date for September.
Joel Butuyan, one of only five Filipino lawyers accredited to the ICC and president of the Centre for International Law, told This Week in Asia, “I don’t think it’s going to affect the ongoing case in the ICC with respect to the merits. But it might potentially affect any application for interim release.”
In a statement released on Monday, the high court condemned rumours about itself and Duterte being granted a temporary restraining order as “acts of disinformation” and said they would be referred “for appropriate action”.
Some Duterte supporters have targeted ICC judges themselves.
On Tuesday, ICC assistant counsel Kristina Conti told TV programme ANC Headstart that the disinformation campaign was not helping Duterte and could backfire. “Duterte could have additional charges if these attacks could be traced back to him,” she warned.
A fake quote from Annalise Keating, a fictional character from the TV show ‘How to Get Away with Murder’. Photo: Facebook
“The proper way would be to perhaps write to the court and ask for an opportunity to be heard. Not spam social media.”
Butuyan acknowledged that online harassment could affect the ICC’s stance, regarding his potential interim release. Given the substantial influence of Duterte’s camp and the fact that judges were human, such pressures “can affect their temperament”, he said.
In recent days, there has been a surge of fabricated “quote cards” featuring actors, politicians or fictional characters vouching for Duterte’s innocence.
One showed a photo of ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane with the statement, “I firmly believe in President Duterte’s innocence. In response to the persistent calls from the Filipino people … I have decided to order his release on March 26, allowing him to celebrate his birthday at home.”
A photo of actress Michelle Yeoh with a fake quote attributed to ICC Judge Tomoko Akane. Photo: Facebook
The fabrications extend to fictional characters such as Matt Murdock, the secret identity of the superhero Daredevil, Elle Woods from Legally Blonde and Gustavo Fring from Breaking Bad – all allegedly condemning Duterte’s arrest.
Another featured Annalise Keating, a character from the TV drama series How to Get Away with Murder, which read “Free Duterte now – or face the consequences.”
The fake quote cards may seem too absurd to be taken seriously, but screenshots show that some Duterte supporters believe them. On Saturday, former Laguna Governor Emilio Ejercito shared a fabricated statement attributed to Annalise Keating on Facebook.
For many Filipinos, the surge of disinformation echoes Duterte’s presidency, when trolls dominated social media with widespread fabrications and public intimidation.
A fake quote from Elle Woods, a fictional character from the movie ‘Legally Blonde’. Photo: Facebook
That same day, ABS-CBN news reported that Duterte fans were posting old videos of festivals and claiming they were recent rallies supporting the ICC prisoner.
Critics of Duterte have fired back against the tide of disinformation with sarcasm and humour.
When Filipinos remarked on how comfortable the jail cells at the ICC centre looked, somebody posted a photo of the room with the caption the ICC was planning to operate in the Philippines as a condo developer.
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SOURCE: www.scmp.com
RELATED: Philippine Supreme Court, ICC bombarded by fake news after Duterte arrest | The wRap
RAPPLER | Published March 19, 2025
The Supreme Court, the ICC, and their judges are now at the receiving end of disinformation and attacks following Duterte’s arrest
ourts both in the Philippines and in The Hague, Netherlands are now at the receiving end of “fake news” or disinformation attacks following former president Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest last week over crimes against humanity.
On the same day Duterte was arrested through a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 11, his longtime ally Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa filed a petition with the Supreme Court (SC), asking for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO). This order could have stopped the implementation of the arrest against the former chief executive whose drug war killed nearly 30,000 people, according to tallies of human rights groups.
But disinformation broke out on the night of March 11, with “fake news” reports claiming that the High Court had already issued a TRO in favor of Duterte. This was not true as there was no issued TRO and the SC only said it had conducted a special raffle for the petition. (READ: [DECODED] How online supporters made a victim of Duterte after ICC arrest)
Duterte’s lawyer Israelito Torreon, along with Raul Lambino and Philip Salvador, went to the SC compound on Tuesday night, claiming they went there to verify the information they received. The High Court’s operating hours were only from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
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SOURCE: www.rappler.com
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