FACT CHECK: No Trump plan to secure Duterte’s release from ICC

The US president has not made any statement supporting Duterte’s release; similar posts have been debunked since Duterte's arrest in March 2025 Claim: US President Donald Trump plans to secure the release of former president Rodrigo Duterte from the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Rating: FALSE Why we fact-check this: The Facebook reel bearing the claim was uploaded on July 17 and has garnered 383,000 views, 18,500 reactions, 2,500 comments, 5,500 shares, and 664 saves, as of writing. The video’s narrator says, “Magandang balita ‘to. Good news. Nandyan si Donald Trump na gusto niyang kunin sa ICC si Duterte. Kaya sa mga nanonood sa aking video ngayon, maniwala na kayo, hindi ito fake news. Abangan na lang natin ang mga kabanata nito kapag makuha na si Duterte ni Trump.” (This is good news. Good news. Donald Trump wants to free Duterte from the ICC. So, to everyone watching my video right now, believe it — this is not fake news. Let’s just wait for the next developments once Trump has freed Duterte.)The video also uses an edited photo of Duterte side by side with Trump, who is shown wearing a Captain America suit. The facts: There are no official statements from Trump or the White House indicating that the US president is seeking or intends to seek Duterte’s release from the ICC. While Trump and Duterte maintained a cordial relationship during their terms as presidents, the former has not made any public remarks about Duterte’s ICC case. It is also highly unlikely that the US leader is planning to secure Duterte’s release from ICC custody. The United States is not a state party to the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the ICC, and has no authority to interfere in the court’s affairs. The US is also at odds with the ICC. On July 13, 2026, the US government asserted that the ICC has no jurisdiction over Americans and announced a sweeping campaign targeting the court over its investigations involving American servicemen and intelligence officers. Duterte trial: Duterte remains at the ICC detention center in The Hague, Netherlands, where he has been detained since his March 2025 arrest. The ICC has scheduled the start of his trial on November 30, 2026. The former president faces charges of crimes against humanity due to his alleged involvement in the killings under his war on drugs and the Davao Death Squad. The court is set to hold its next status conference on the case on September 16, 2026. Debunked: Similar fact-check articles have been published by Rappler on claims related to Trump and Duterte’s ICC case: FACT CHECK: No reports Trump seeking Duterte’s release from ICC FACT CHECK: Trump did not warn Marcos for facilitating Duterte arrest FACT CHECK: Trump not intervening to secure Duterte arrest from ICC – Jennifer Pading/Rappler.com Jennifer Jezreel Kaye Pading is an economics student at Visayas State University in Baybay City in Leyte. An Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow for 2026, she is also the Executive Editor of Amaranth and community officer of AYEJ-Leyte Panaad Ha Sinirangan. Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time. How does this make you feel? Loading