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In a wave of misinformation spreading across social media platforms, fabricated statements attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump regarding former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte have gained traction online. The falsified quotes suggest Trump has promised to rescue Duterte from the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention facility in The Hague.
Since January 5, numerous Facebook pages and users have been circulating two quote cards featuring Trump’s image. One graphic, emblazoned with the official Seal of the United States President, contained a purported statement from Trump declaring: “Like what I did to Venezuelan President Maduro, I will do to Former President Rodrigo Duterte. My troops are ready to pick him up from the ICC Detention Center. I stand with my friend from the Philippines, he did nothing wrong. I’ll have to rescue him whatever it takes. ICC is unfair and unjust, I’ll missile Duterte out. I’ll bring him home!”
A second quote card featured another fabricated statement: “If there’s one thing I believe, it’s standing by allies. President Duterte led his country his way, and I respect that. I will use every diplomatic channel available to help ensure that FPRRD is treated fairly and to push for his release from the ICC. Strong leaders deserve strong support.”
Fact-checking reveals these statements are entirely fabricated. Trump has made no public statements regarding Duterte’s detention or the charges he faces before the ICC. No such communications appear on Trump’s social media accounts, White House official channels, or the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines.
The timing of these fake quote cards is notable, as they began circulating just two days after U.S. military forces reportedly captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and transported him to New York to face charges including narco-terrorism, corruption, and drug trafficking. This real-world event appears to have provided context for the fabricated narrative about Trump potentially intervening in Duterte’s case.
Adding to the complexity, two days after Maduro’s arrest, former Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Greco Belgica, a known Duterte ally, published an open letter on Facebook appealing to Trump for assistance in bringing Duterte home. This authentic letter has since been widely shared among Duterte’s supporters, potentially fueling confusion about Trump’s actual position.
The United States has historically maintained a confrontational stance toward the ICC, including imposing sanctions on some of its judges. However, this general policy position does not translate to any specific commitment regarding Duterte’s situation.
VERA Files, which reported on these fabrications, noted that this is not the first instance of fake quote cards attributed to Trump circulating in relation to Duterte’s ICC detention. The organization has previously debunked several similar fabrications that portrayed Trump as supporting the former Philippine president.
The false statements have gained significant traction online. According to VERA Files, at least ten copies of the first fabricated graphic were uploaded by Facebook users and pages, including “Sara Duterte Today” (a page created on May 23, 2024, originally named “Maisug ATO NI BAI”). Collectively, these posts garnered nearly 1,800 reactions, approximately 400 comments, and more than 320 shares. The second fabricated quote also received substantial engagement, with three posts accumulating more than 1,550 reactions, 246 comments, and 181 shares.
This spread of misinformation highlights the ongoing challenges of verifying political content on social media platforms, particularly involving international diplomatic relations.
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9 Comments
I appreciate the fact-checking effort, but this article seems more focused on geopolitics than the mining, metals, and energy topics that are typically discussed here. I’d be curious to hear thoughts on any actual developments in those industries.
While the spread of misinformation is troubling, I’m not sure this particular story is directly relevant to the mining, commodities, and energy focus of this platform. I’d be more interested in discussion around actual market trends and industry news.
I agree, this article seems a bit tangential to the core topics covered here. Perhaps the moderators could find a more industry-specific story to generate more insightful comments from this community.
This seems to be more of a fact-checking issue rather than anything substantive about mining or commodities. The false claims about Trump’s stance on Duterte don’t appear to have any connection to the mining/energy sectors.
The false claims about Trump’s stance on Duterte are concerning, but I’m not sure they’re directly relevant to the mining, metals, and energy focus of this platform. I’d be more interested in discussing actual developments in those industries.
I agree, this article seems a bit off-topic for the usual discussions here. Perhaps the moderators could find a more relevant story that ties into mining, commodities, or energy news.
Interesting fact-check, but I don’t see how it ties into the mining, commodities, or energy industries that are typically discussed here. Perhaps a more relevant article on those topics would generate more insightful comments from this community.
Interesting fact-check, but I’m not seeing the clear connection to mining, metals, or energy that is typically the focus here. I’d be more curious to hear thoughts on the latest developments in those sectors.
While the spread of misinformation is concerning, I’m not sure how this particular story relates to mining, metals, or energy. It seems more focused on geopolitics and international affairs.