FACT-CHECK: Japanese NGO representative, not gov’t official, pushed for Duterte’s release during UN assembly

CLAIM: A Japanese government official called for the release of former president Rodrigo Duterte from detention by the International Criminal Court.

RATING: FALSE

Viral videos on social media falsely claimed that the Japanese government is calling for the release of former President Rodrigo Duterte from the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague, Netherlands.

Flagged content: Multiple videos across Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube have been found repeating the false claim.

• The videos came from the 27th Meeting of the 61st Session of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council that was aired on March 11.
• Content posted by these profiles features captions thanking the Japanese government for supposedly calling for Duterte’s immediate release.

Our debunk: Shunichi Fujiki, seen in the video supporting calls for Duterte’s release, is not a representative of the Japanese government but a delegate of the International Career Support Association, a private, non-governmental organization (NGO) with offices in Japan.

• Official records from the Permanent Mission of Japan to the UN did not contain any demand from the Japanese government concerning Duterte and his ICC case.
• While the UN Human Rights Council reserves speaking slots for NGOs in general assemblies, statements made here do not necessarily reflect their home nation’s foreign policy.

Rewind: In March 2025, Duterte was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on charges of crimes against humanity allegedly committed during his administration’s drug war.

• His defense filed its first interim release plea on June 12, 2025, citing his age and health. It was followed by another request submitted Aug. 19.
• On Jan. 26, the pre-trial chamber rejected the defense’s arguments and found that Duterte was fit to take part in the confirmation of charges hearing.
• From Feb. 23-27, the ICC held Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearings. The court is expected to issue a written decision on whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to a full trial.

Why we fact-checked this: These false narratives were spread to fabricate diplomatic support for Duterte.

• Such claims further distort the Filipino public’s understanding of ongoing proceedings against Duterte and the victims’ prolonged search for justice.
• Collectively, the videos monitored by PressOne.PH has amassed over 14,000 reactions, 1,000 comments, 3,000 shares, and 100 saves on Facebook. Meanwhile, a lone TikTok post has garnered 1,443 reactions, 107 comments, 268 shares, 144 saves, and over 14,800 views.

Spot the fake: Check with official channels such as the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines.

• Changes in foreign policy with other nations would have been announced by the Philippine government.
• News outlets would have reported foreign intervention in domestic issues
• Legitimate videos from the government and other foreign bodies would not have feature lousy editing and captioning. Amir Khalil C. Sioson

PressOne.PH is a verified signatory of the Code of Principles of the International Fact -Checking Network (IFCN) at Poynter. The code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network is a series of commitments organizations abide by to promote excellence in fact-checking. We believe nonpartisan and transparent fact-checking can be a powerful instrument of accountability journalism..

PressOne.PH believes that fact-checking is essential to combating misinformation and disinformation, and in informing and educating citizens and voters. Read more of PressOne.PH’s Fact-Checking Policy by clicking here.

The public is welcome to send feedback or requests for fact-checks at factcheck@pressone.ph.

If you believe PressOne.PH is violating the Code of Principles of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), you may submit a complaint directly to the IFCN website: https://ifcncodeofprinciples.poynter.org/complaints-policy