Facebook (FB) users are circulating a video of former president Rodrigo Duterte showing his supposed homecoming that was allegedly kept from the public eye. This is false. The video was from an event in Davao City last January.
Posted on April 13, a 55-second video shows the former president arriving at a conference room and welcomed by a crowd of supporters. Also shown in the clip were Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, Sens. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Robinhood Padilla and Bong Go, as well as actor and senatorial aspirant Philip Salvador.
The video bore the text:
“Tatay Digong in the house. Ang sekretong pag uwi ni tatay D sa pilipinas (The secret homecoming of Tatay D in the Philippines.”
This is not true. Duterte remains detained in the International Criminal Court (ICC) facility in The Hague, Netherlands. The video was taken during a Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) event in Davao City last Jan. 30.
On Jan. 30, TikTok user @bannerph uploaded a longer copy of the video that carried only the text “Tatay Digong in the house.” A clip was taken, then sped up.
That day, the PDP, chaired by the former president, held a national coordinating meeting with its senatorial candidates at the Grand Men Seng Hotel in Davao City.
This took place more than a month before Duterte’s arrest on March 11 and transfer to the ICC custody hours later in relation to his case involving alleged crimes against humanity during his bloody drug war. He remains under the court custody as he awaits the confirmation of charges hearing set on Sept. 23, 2025.
Copies of the video with either erroneous or missing context started circulating the same day Duterte celebrated his 80th birthday on March 28.
VERA Files has debunked a barrage of mis-/disinformation related to Duterte’s ICC case. Last month, a similar claim about his supposed return to Davao City also circulated.
At least five FB users reposted the clip without the proper context, collectively garnering 1,379 reactions, 353 comments, 294 shares and 50,842 views.
