MISLEADING: Rodrigo Duterte missing, not seen at ICC facility

Francine Balang

A social media post citing a news report claims that Former President Rodrigo Duterte has allegedly gone missing and is reportedly no longer in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

CLAIM

The post alleges that Duterte’s whereabouts are unknown and he is no longer being detained by the ICC.

RATING: MISLEADING

CONCLUSION

No verified source has reported that Duterte is missing or no longer under ICC custody. The claim recycles an old news report and presents it as new information. 

THE FACTS

• The video being shared is from the Frontline Tonight news report that originally aired on March 13, 2025, not a recent report.
• In that report, former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said they did not know Duterte’s whereabouts after being informed that he was not at the detention facility they visited. 
• Later that day, ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah confirmed that Duterte was under ICC custody and had been admitted to the ICC Detention Center in Scheveningen after undergoing standard medical checks.
• No official ICC reports have indicated that Duterte is missing. 

THE BOTTOMLINE

There are no official reports that he is missing, and presenting the clip as current may mislead the public into thinking his whereabouts are unknown.