FACT CHECK: No reports of Russia, US, UK seeking Duterte release

Claim: The governments of Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom are coordinating to push for the release of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was posted on Facebook pages that present themselves as news and media outlets. Taken together, these pages have an accumulated following of over 45,000 users. The posts bearing the claim have collectively gained 5,300 reactions, 1,539 comments, and 380 shares.

One post shows photos of Duterte, US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Britain’s King Charles. Text overlaid on the photo reads: “Tatlong bansa sanib pwersa para kay PRRD! Isang hari lulusob sa ICC para palabasin si PRRD?”

(Three countries join forces for [President Rodrigo Roa Duterte]. A king set to intervene at the ICC to secure PRRD’s release?)

The post’s caption states: “Isang hindi inaasahang ‘One-Two Punch’ ang tumama sa International Criminal Court matapos magsanib-pwersa ang dalawa sa pinakamakapangyarihang lider sa mundo para tuldukan ang kapangyarihan ng korte sa The Hague! Sa isang galaw na parang eksena sa pelikula, ang ICC na naghahabol kay FPRRD at Putin ay tila sila na ngayon ang tinutugis!”

(An unexpected “one-two punch” struck the International Criminal Court after two of the world’s most powerful leaders joined forces to challenge the court’s authority in The Hague. In a move that seemed straight out of a movie, the ICC, which has been pursuing cases against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte and Russian President Vladimir Putin, is now the one under attack.)

The claim further asserts that the ICC judges involved in the case against Duterte have themselves been arrested.

The facts: There are no credible reports that Russia, the US, the UK, or any other country is pushing for Duterte’s release. Likewise, there is no verified information that King Charles or any other monarch is planning to personally intervene in Duterte’s case. The posts are based entirely on speculation, with no supporting evidence from credible sources or official statements.

Moreover, the ICC is an independent judicial institution established under the Rome Statute, operating under its own governing legal framework. Neither the US nor Russia is a member of the ICC, and they have no authority to interfere in the court’s arrest or detention proceedings.

In recent years, the ICC has faced external pressures, including Russia’s issuance of jail verdicts against some ICC officials and US sanctions targeting the court’s personnel. These actions, however, stemmed from the ICC’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Putin in 2023 and for Israeli leaders in 2024 — not Duterte’s case specifically.

Amid these sanctions, the court maintained that it would “continue to carry out its mandate with independence and impartiality, in full accordance with the Rome Statute and in the interest of victims of international crimes.” 

ICC detention: Duterte has been held at the ICC detention center in Scheveningen, The Hague, since his arrest on March 11, 2025, facing multiple charges of crimes against humanity linked to his bloody war on drugs. His appeal for temporary release was unanimously rejected by the Appeals Chamber, and he continues to remain in ICC custody as the court proceeds with pre-trial preparations.

In December 2025, a three-member, court-appointed medical panel assessed Duterte’s physical and cognitive condition. The experts found that while the 80-year-old former president is frail and elderly, he retains the mental capacity to meaningfully participate in pre-trial proceedings. (READ: Duterte can undergo trial, medical experts tell ICC)

Duterte’s defense later sought a new medical assessment, arguing that his cognitive state could affect detention-related risks under Article 58(1)(b) of the Rome Statute. The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I rejected the request, ruling that the existing expert findings were sufficient, and declined to order a new evaluation. – Marjuice Destinado/Rappler.com

Marjuice Destinado is a senior political science student at Cebu Normal University (CNU) and an alumna of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2025.

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