FACT CHECK: Post uses AI-generated news report to falsely claim Duterte is back in PH

Former president Rodrigo Duterte remains detained; he was not released from detention to attend his daughter’s impeachment trial, contrary to the claim A claim that former president Rodrigo Duterte is returning to the Philippines to attend his daughter's impeachment trial is false. Duterte remains in custody at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, and there are no credible reports or official announcements confirming his release. The supposed news report was identified as AI-generated, and previous fact checks have debunked similar false claims about Duterte's supposed release. This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors. Claim: Former president Rodrigo Duterte is coming home to the Philippines to attend the impeachment trial of his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, as shown in a news report. Rating: FALSE Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook reel showing the supposed news report was posted on August 10. It has already received 179,000 views, 7,300 reactions, 1,100 comments, and 1,100 shares as of writing. The graphic shows the former president waving while a plane is seen in the background. The text on the graphic reads, “Breaking news: Rodrigo Duterte comes home to the Philippines to attend the hearing of Sara Duterte.” The caption of the post emphasized the claim that Duterte has been released from International Criminal Court (ICC) detention: “[Confirm] nakalabas na po mahal natin [presidente] na magaling Digong Duterte.” (It is confirmed that our beloved and excellent president, Digong Duterte, has been released.) Some Facebook users believed the claim, leaving comments in support of the former president. The facts: Duterte remains detained at the ICC facility in The Hague, Netherlands. The ICC website lists his current status as “In ICC custody.” The supposed news report was generated using artificial intelligence (AI). AI image detector Sight Engine flagged the image as 99% likely to be AI-generated. Hive Detect also labeled the same image as 99.1% likely to contain AI-generated content. Reverse image search did not show any credible news report similar to the one being shown in the Facebook reel. There are also no official announcements from the ICC stating that Duterte was released from detention to attend his daughter’s impeachment trial. Still detained: Duterte’s counsel had repeatedly appealed for an interim release citing health reasons, but this has been denied by the ICC. The court’s latest decision was issued in May 2026, when the Trial Chamber III said the former leader is still not eligible for temporary liberty. Under the Rome Statute, a suspect cannot be released if they present risk factors, which include the danger of fleeing, obstructing justice by intimidating witnesses, or recommitting the same alleged crimes. Article 60(3) notes that the court may modify its ruling on a person’s detention or release if circumstances have changed. In its ruling, the chamber said, “The Chamber therefore finds no notable change in circumstances [of Duterte] that warrants the release of the accused, with or without conditions.” Duterte was arrested in March 2025 for crimes against humanity linked to killings in his brutal war on drugs. In April 2026, the ICC’s pre-trial chamber confirmed all the charges against him, including three counts of murder, covering 49 incidents of killings and 78 victims. His full trial is scheduled to begin in November. Impeachment: Meanwhile, Duterte’s daughter is facing an impeachment trial for her alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and threats to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House speaker Martin Romualdez. (LIVE UPDATES: Impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte) Previous fact checks: Rappler has previously fact-checked similar false claims about Duterte: FACT CHECK: 2025 photo of Duterte in Hong Kong used to falsely claim he’s back in PH FACT CHECK: Video saying Duterte will be released in July 2026 is fake, AI-generated FACT CHECK: ICC did not junk Duterte’s case; post misrepresents old VP Sara statement FACT CHECK: Video of ICC judge saying Duterte should be released is AI-generated FACT CHECK: Photos of Duterte being assisted in ICC courtroom are AI-generated FACT CHECK: No ICC admission of being ‘paid’ by Marcos gov’t in Duterte case – Angelee Kaye Abelinde/Rappler.com Angelee Kaye Abelinde is a student journalist based in Naga City, and an alumna of Rappler’s Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship 2024. 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