Two Facebook users and a YouTube channel posted a supposed receipt from the International Criminal Court for the detention of former president Rodrigo Duterte, and alleged that President Ferdinand Marcos footed the bill. Not true.
Published in two pro-Duterte FB groups on May 3, the posts carried blurry images of an “official receipt” with the ICC logo, and the following text superimposed on it:
“Resibo binayaran ni BBM and ICC (Receipt BBM paid and ICC).”
The document listed Duterte as “DETAINEE-PRRD-001,” with a line item for a “prison cell rental” at €1 billion annually for 30 years, covering accommodation, meals, medical care, security, and legal handling. The subtotal comes to €30 billion, which balloons to €65 billion after a 100% “Justice Surcharge” and administrative fees.
Another YouTube channel posted the same fake receipt four hours after the FB posts quoted above were posted. The superimposed text on its post read: “Resibo ba kamo? Oh ayan resibo ni BBM sa pagbayad nya sa ICC mga ugag (Looking for receipts? Here is BBM’s receipt for paying the ICC, idiots).”
In an email to VERA Files Fact Check, the ICC said the receipt is not an authentic ICC document.
“The ICC does not receive any ear-marked payment to cover the detention costs of any detained person. The Court does not receive payment of individuals to cover the costs of detention, nor does it issue billing or receipts in this regard,” they said.
Detention-related costs are part of the Court’s regular budget which is approved by the Assembly of States Parties and funded by the States Parties to the Rome Statute, they added.
Moreover, the false posts claimed Marcos paid the ICC to detain Duterte, but the “receipt” itself tells a different story. The bill indicated that the “customer’s name” is Rodrigo Duterte. Nowhere in the document was Marcos mentioned.
VERA Files Fact Check observed several other red flags in the document:
- The receipt was issued on May 24, 2025, 6:42 PM “CET.” But the Netherlands is in Central European Summer Time (CEST) every last Sunday of March until the last Sunday of October.
- The ICC slogan in the receipt says “Justice knows no borders. Accountability is not optional.” However, the Court uses no such tagline.
- “DETAINEE-PRRD-001” is also a red flag. Official ICC documents use specific case numbers tied to formal proceedings (e.g., ICC-01/XX). A label like “PRRD-001” is not consistent with any real ICC documentation format.
The post surfaced less than two weeks after the ICC pre-trial chamber confirmed all charges against Duterte and sent the case to trial. As of writing, the full-blown trial has not yet been given a definitive start date.
As of writing, the spurious post published by FB users in FB groups Protect Vice President Sara Duterte and Sara Duterte Supporters, and YouTube account LukeGanz TV (created on May 17, 2013) collectively garnered 434 reactions; 126 comments; 162 shares; and 4,228 views.
