A post on Facebook (FB) is spreading multiple false claims after former president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested under a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) last week.
The online post was published less than 24 hours after Duterte’s arrest on March 11. Its text read, in part:
“Mismong judge napo I.C.C Ang nag Sabi na Hindi na sakop ng jurisdiction nila Ang pilipinas kaya Wala Silang karapatan na litisin si Tatay Digong… Malinaw na kidnapping Ang ginawa ng ating pangulong Marcos. Dahil Wala Silang ipinakitamg anoang dokomento na si tatay digong ay aarestohin.
(An ICC judge himself said their court has no jurisdiction over the Philippines so they have no right to put Duterte to trial… It’s clear that President Ferdinand Marcos orchestrated [his] kidnapping due to the lack of any document saying Duterte should be arrested).”
Aside from claiming that Duterte was “kidnapped” and that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines in this case, the publisher of the erroneous post also stated that First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos was allegedly detained under the orders of United States (US) President Donald Trump for her supposed involvement in the death of a famous personality.
All of these claims are not true and continue to circulate as Duterte, who made his initial appearance before the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber at The Hague on March 14, awaits the confirmation of his charges in relation to his bloody war on drugs.
On Duterte’s alleged kidnapping
Duterte was not abducted. He was served a warrant of arrest by the Philippine National Police (PNP) on his return from Hong Kong last Tuesday. The warrant was issued by the ICC and coursed through the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
Veronica “Kitty” Duterte, the former president’s daughter, published a now-deleted video – which was reposted by netizens – showing Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III of the PNP reading her father’s rights and explaining the basis of the warrant and charges filed against him.
VERA Files Fact Check obtained a copy of the arrest warrant that was issued by the ICC on March 7.
President Ferdinand Marcos said in a March 11 Palace briefing that Duterte’s arrest was done in compliance with the country’s commitment to the Interpol.
On ICC jurisdiction
The claim that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines and therefore, no right to investigate Duterte’s controversial war on drugs has been repeatedly debunked by VERA Files Fact Check.
In a majority vote of 3-2, the ICC’s Appeals Chamber maintained in a 2023 decision the court’s jurisdiction on the Philippines with respect to alleged crimes that occurred while the country was still a state party to the Rome Statute, further ruling that the court inquiry on the bloody drug campaign can resume.
The spurious online post was referring to the dissenting opinions made by the two ICC judges that voted in favor of the Philippines’ appeal to suspend the investigations, confusing it with the actual decision of the court.
On Liza Marcos’ detainment
Finally, it is also not true that Araneta-Marcos was imprisoned in the US under Trump’s orders. The First Lady is currently in the Philippines.
On March 15, she was in Parañaque City for the GO Negosyo Women Summit. Even a day prior to the publication of the false FB post, she was in Manila, attending the turnover ceremony of donations to the Girl Scouts of the Philippines at her office.
FB page Ka Bantay Vlog (very newly created on March 2) made the untrue post, garnering over 330 comments and 14,000 shares.
