A viral Facebook claim that International Criminal Court judge Iulia Motoc, presiding over former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte's case, has died is false. The fact check confirms she is alive, as evidenced by her name and signature on a court decision dated January 7, 2026. No credible reports support the hoax.
A Facebook reel posted on January 6, 2026, claimed that Iulia Motoc, the presiding judge of the International Criminal Court's Pre-Trial Chamber I handling former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte's case, had died. It garnered 565,000 views, 8,200 reactions, 1,500 shares, and 1,100 comments. The post coincided with the ICC's rejection of the Duterte camp's request to access communications involving medical experts assessing his fitness to stand trial.
The reel featured a black-and-white photo of Motoc alongside Philippine Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, an image of Motoc on a hospital bed, and a screenshot of a YouTube thumbnail reading, “ICC judges na humatol kay PRRD comatose? Tila nagkakatotoo ang sumpa ni PRRD! ICC judge pumanaw na?” Many commenters believed it, with one stating, “Malapit na tayo magdiwang, nakakarma n cla lhat (Our time of celebration is near, karma is getting to them).”
However, Motoc is alive. Her name and signature appear on a court decision dated January 7, 2026, rejecting the Duterte camp's bid for an expert report on his risk factors under the Rome Statute. No credible news outlets have reported her coma or death, and the reel provides no evidence.
This mirrors previous debunked hoaxes, such as one about Remulla's death, refuted when he appeared live on DZRH News radio on January 3, 2026. Motoc served as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights from 2013 to 2023 and began her ICC term on March 11, 2024. She holds a law degree from the University of Bucharest, a master’s, and a PhD in International Law from University Paul Cezanne, Aix-Marseille III. She also worked as a UN Special Rapporteur for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and as a professor of international law.
Motoc has faced disinformation and trolling from Duterte supporters, who have spammed her social media and called for his release. Duterte was arrested on March 11, 2025, three years after his presidency ended, and faces charges of crimes against humanity related to his administration's war on drugs and extrajudicial killings. He remains in custody following the ICC's denial of his interim release appeal in November 2025.
Rappler has fact-checked similar claims about ICC judges and Duterte's detention, including that no judges were removed, the case is ongoing, and there is no order for his release.
