Duterte Remains Detained; Social Media Post Recirculates Old Video with Actress Giselle Sanchez

Former President Duterte Not Released from ICC Detention, Viral Video Debunked

A viral video circulating on social media falsely claiming that former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been released from International Criminal Court (ICC) detention has been proven to be manipulated and misleading.

The video, which has garnered over 1.1 million views since being posted on Facebook on November 14, shows Duterte alongside comedian-actress Giselle Sanchez in what appears to be a celebratory moment. Audio in the clip features a news reporter saying, “Laya na, ito’y matapos siyang ma-acquit” (He is free after being acquitted), while on-screen text reads, “Sekretong tagumpay. Hulaan nyo kung saan siya ngayon, Digong Duterte” (Secret success. Guess where he is now, Digong Duterte).

Fact-checking reveals that Duterte remains in ICC custody in The Hague, Netherlands, where he faces charges of crimes against humanity related to his administration’s controversial war on drugs campaign.

The video in question is a deceptive compilation of unrelated elements. The footage of Duterte and Sanchez was actually recorded in March 2024, several months before Duterte was arrested and placed in ICC detention. The same video appeared on TikTok in April 2024 and was also shared on Sanchez’s official Facebook page earlier this year.

More troubling is the audio manipulation. The voice heard in the clip was spliced from a 2023 GMA network “24 Oras” news report about an entirely different case—the acquittal of Juanito Jose Remulla III, son of then-justice secretary Boying Remulla, on drug possession charges. The voices of news anchor Vicky Morales and reporter Maki Pulido were extracted from this unrelated broadcast and repurposed to falsely suggest Duterte’s release.

The misleading post has generated significant engagement, with thousands of comments from users believing the fabricated claim. One commenter even expressed gratitude for Duterte’s supposed release, highlighting how disinformation can quickly spread unchecked on social media platforms.

In reality, Duterte’s legal situation remains unchanged. He was arrested on March 11, 2025, to face charges related to his administration’s anti-drug campaign, during which human rights organizations documented more than 30,000 killings. Duterte has petitioned the ICC for interim release, but this request was denied by the pre-trial chamber.

The former president’s legal team has appealed this ruling, with the ICC Appeals Chamber scheduled to deliver its judgment on November 28. This pending decision may have contributed to the timing of the misleading video, creating confusion ahead of the official court determination.

This is not the first instance of misinformation regarding Duterte’s ICC case. Multiple fact-checks have previously debunked similar claims about his supposed release, indicating an ongoing pattern of disinformation surrounding the high-profile case.

The manipulation demonstrates the sophisticated techniques now being employed to spread false information—combining authentic footage with doctored audio and misleading text to create a convincing but entirely fabricated narrative. Such tactics present increasing challenges for social media users attempting to distinguish fact from fiction in their news consumption.

Media literacy experts recommend verifying information through multiple credible sources, especially regarding politically sensitive topics, and remaining skeptical of emotionally charged content that appears designed to provoke strong reactions rather than inform.