A viral Facebook post falsely claimed former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was released after his ICC confirmation of charges hearing and spotted at an airport. He is still in custody at The Hague detention center, awaiting a decision within 60 days.
Fact Check: Duterte Still in ICC Custody Post-Hearing
A Facebook page posing as a news outlet (47,000 followers) shared a post claiming Duterte was freed after his February 23-27, 2026, confirmation of charges hearing at the International Criminal Court (ICC). It featured an AI-generated image of Duterte at an airport, with text: “PRRD sa ICC, makakalaya na? Nasa airport na. Atty. Kaufman ginalingan. Good news ito!” (Translation: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte at the ICC, will he be set free? He’s already at the airport. Atty. Kaufman did an excellent job. This is good news!)
Rating: False.
The ICC's official website shows no release announcements. Duterte remains detained at the court's facility in The Hague, Netherlands. As detailed in our coverage of the hearing's conclusion, Pre-Trial Chamber I began deliberations on February 27 and must decide within 60 days whether to confirm charges (proceeding to trial), dismiss them, or order more investigation.
The hearing reviewed evidence of extrajudicial killings tied to Duterte's anti-drug campaign, including the Davao Death Squad and the 2017 killing of Kian delos Santos. Prosecutors expressed confidence in confirmation; defense lawyer Nicholas Kaufman argued for release, calling prolonged detention unfair.
AI tools flagged the image as 99.95% AI-generated due to unnatural facial and background details.
