FACT-CHECK: Duterte yet to secure victory in ICC Case

CLAIM: Former president Rodrigo Duterte has won his case at the International Criminal Court.

RATING: FALSE

A Facebook post falsely claimed that former president Rodrigo Duterte had won his case at the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the witnesses supposedly withdrew.

The post featured a graphic that showed a photo of the mothers and wives of drug war victims, taken during a March 12 press conference, which falsely implied that they were ICC witnesses who had withdrawn.

The case remains in its pre-trial stage, during which the three pre-trial judges are tasked with confirming the suspect’s identity and ensuring they fully understood the charges against them.

The photo was taken during a press conference hosted by the human rights group Karapatan, held a day after the former president’s arrest to commemorate victims of the drug war—an issue that persists under the Marcos administration. 

There has been no announcement from the ICC regarding any witness withdrawal, and even if such withdrawals were to occur, they would not automatically result in the dismissal of a case, contrary to what the post suggested based on prior proceedings.

As previously reported, the former president has been accused of the murder of at least 43 individuals between 2011 and 2019—representative of the thousands believed to have been killed in anti-drug operations during his term. 

Under Rule 81(3) of the ICC’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence, the Court is obligated to protect the safety of witnesses, victims, and their families by keeping their identities confidential. 

Unless the Court is granted explicit permission to disclose such information, there is no way to confirm whether any of the individuals who were present at the press conference are witnesses in the case.

The Facebook post has garnered 138 reactions, 40 comments and 26 shares as of posting time. Regner Atutubo

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