A YouTube video falsely claims that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued summons to former president Rodrigo Duterte. Not true. A clip of Duterte publicly admitting that he ordered killings in Davao City was just submitted to the tribunal.
Uploaded on Oct. 17, shortly after the Magdalo group sent the clip to the ICC, the false video bore the headline:
“NAKU PO! Grabe nangyare kay Digong Pinatawag nasa ICC Interview Nakuha na! PBBM Umaksyon na VPSARA.”
“(Oh no! Something terrible happened to Digong. Summoned by the ICC. Interview was received! PBBM already took action Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio).”
There is no official announcement from the ICC that it has summoned Duterte nor the other officials named in probe documents submitted to the court.
(Related story: VP Sara, 2 senators named in ICC probe documents)
Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who is also national chairperson of Magdalo, only submitted a copy of Duterte’s now-deleted Oct. 12 interview on Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) where the former president said he used intelligence funds to order killings in Davao City. Duterte was caught on tape saying:
“Ang intelligence fund, binili ko, pinapatay ko lahat. Kaya ganun ang Davao. ‘Yung mga kasama ninyo pinatigok ko talaga. ‘Yun ang totoo.”
(“Intelligence funds, I bought them and had everyone killed. That’s why Davao is like that. I really had your companions killed. That’s the truth.”)
Source: Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV Facebook page, “ICC Submission-Duterte’s admission,” Oct. 15, 2023
On Oct. 17, Trillanes said the ICC had acknowledged receipt of Duterte’s video.
The Netherlands-based tribunal is currently investigating alleged extrajudicial killings linked to the drug war during Duterte’s presidency and the Davao Death Squad when he was still mayor of Davao City.
The government previously appealed to stop the probe but this was junked by the ICC on July 18.
The untrue video merely showed a montage of photos while an audio of broadcaster Mike Abe’s commentary on Magdalo’s submission of Duterte’s interview to the ICC played in the background.
Uploaded by previously fact-checked YouTube channels NEWS PH and WANGBUDISS TV, the false video garnered 24,500 views, 538 likes and 211 comments. Netizens also shared the link on Facebook.
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