Editor’s Note: This story was updated on March 26, 2025 to include a fact check on another fake report that quoted Vladimir Putin expressing his support for Duterte.
Several social media users posted fake “news reports” about two world leaders – United States President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin – defending ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, who was arrested on a warrant from the International Criminal Court this month.
Fake ‘BBC’ report on Trump
One of the erroneous posts was published on March 12, packaged like a news report from British public broadcaster BBC News. Its caption read:
“Breaking: Trump Speaks Out on Duterte’s Arrest.
US President Donald Trump has made his first public comments regarding the arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who was flown to The Hague today to face charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).”
It also carried a quote card of Trump that said:
“Duterte — what a guy, tremendous guy, really fantastic, probably the best relationship if ever. Unlike Marcos Jr., he’s like Sleepy Joe Biden – total disaster. Tremendous disaster.
I will tell you right now, if the Philippines doesn’t bring back Duterte, we’re going to impose 50% tariffs. Big tariffs. Huge tariffs. No one wants that. Believe me.”
There are no verified records of Trump or any official U.S. government agency issuing such a statement on Duterte’s arrest and eventual detention in the Netherlands.
The alleged news report and quote card did not appear in BBC News or any other credible news outlets.
Faux Putin report
A few days later, on March 16, an FB user published an alleged report about Putin declaring there will be no peace in Ukraine until the ICC releases Duterte. A part of the report read:
“‘I will not sit at a table to discuss peace while a leader who stood with us is shackled by a court that serves Western interests,’ Putin said, his voice firm as he addressed reporters alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. ‘Duterte’s fate is a signal—if the ICC can take him, they will come for others who defy their order. This is not justice; it is a weapon. Until this changes, there will be no peace in Ukraine.’”
A cursory search of these quotes showed no reputable and legitimate news organization reporting on Putin’s comment on Duterte’s arrest.
Putin’s most recent appearance with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko was in a joint press conference on March 13, two days after the Philippine National Police and International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) arrested Duterte.
In a press release that same day, Putin’s office said he and Lukashenko have signed an agreement on measures “for mutual protection” of Russian and Belarusian citizens from “unjustified prosecution by foreign states and international justice bodies.”
No mention was made of Duterte nor the ICC by either Putin or Lukashenko during the news briefing.
While Putin answered questions on the pending peace talks with Ukraine at the briefing, no one brought up the arrest of the former Philippine president.
Duterte arrived in The Hague, Netherlands on March 12 to face the ICC over the charge of crimes against humanity in relation to his administration’s war on drugs.
The fake “Trump” post published on FB and Instagram earned thousands of shares and reactions. VERA Files has previously debunked similar claims of fake statements attributed to Trump.
Meanwhile, the faux report on Putin attributed the alleged news write-up to a certain Ab Martin, published March 15. “Ab Martin” does not appear in any page of Muck Rack, a popular database of journalists and content creator profiles.
