FACT CHECK: Rodrigo Duterte is alive, still detained at the ICC

Claim: Former president Rodrigo Duterte died on May 17, 2026. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: Multiple posts have been circulating bearing the claim, with one posted on May 17, 2026, that has since garnered over 70 reactions, 70 comments, and two shares, while similar posts using the same photo also garnered over 55 reactions and 125 comments, and 40 reactions and 70 comments, respectively.

The caption said, “Tatay Digs. Patay na talaga siya.” (Father Digs. He is really dead.)

Another post with an image of Duterte lying in a coffin while his daughter Sara and sons Paolo and Sebastian are crying was also posted on May 17, 2026, and has since garnered over 190 reactions and 9 shares. Many similar claims also used photos of an old and frail-looking Duterte that already surfaced and trended in 2025.

Most of these claims have been shared in the Facebook group, “SARA DUTERTE SUPPORTERS,” with over 382,000 active members.

The facts: Duterte is still alive and in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to the ICC’s website. The claims likely stemmed from the death of Félicien Kabuga, who was detained by the ICC for his involvement in the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda — which killed at least 800,000 people in over 100 days. Kabuga died on Saturday, May 16.

The images circulating in these claims that depict Duterte as dead are Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated. An analysis using Hive Moderation’s AI detection tool revealed that the images are 87.3% likely AI and that 97% of their composition was generated by Google’s AI software, Gemini.

Duterte’s case: Duterte was arrested on March 11, 2025, for alleged crimes against humanity related to extrajudicial killings stemming from his bloody war on drugs. He has been detained at the ICC since March 12, 2025.

On September 22, 2025, the ICC prosecution charged him with three counts of murder as crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, his camp has repeatedly filed petitions for interim release, citing his old and frail condition. The ICC pre-trial chamber dismissed these petitions, declared Duterte fit to undergo trial, and formally confirmed his charges on April 23, 2026.

Duterte is expected to appear before the ICC Courtroom I on May 27 for a status conference on his case.

Debunked: Rappler has already debunked similar claims regarding Duterte’s death, health, and the status of his case in the ICC:

• FACT CHECK: Rodrigo Duterte is alive
• FACT CHECK: Rodrigo Duterte not yet dead
• FACT CHECK: Ex-president Duterte is alive
• FACT CHECK: No proof of Duterte in ‘critical’ condition
• FACT CHECK: Ex-president Duterte is alive, in ICC custody

– Reinnard Balonzo/Rappler.com 

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