FACT CHECK: ICC judge did not say Duterte was ‘kidnapped’

Claim: International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber III Judge Joanna Korner said that former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was kidnapped when he was sent to the ICC detention center in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The quote card bearing the claim was posted on June 3 and has garnered over 14,500 reactions, 1,000 comments, and 1,100 shares as of writing.

It features a photo of Korner and her supposedly saying that Duterte was “kidnapped” when he was sent to The Hague because there was no decision from a Philippine court ordering his arrest and subsequent transfer to ICC custody.

The claim was posted by the Facebook page, “Pawang Katotohanan Lamang,” which has over 330,000 followers and consistently shares posts on social issues and Philippine government updates. Similar posts bearing the same claim are also circulating online.

The facts: There are no official court transcripts or records from the ICC showing that Korner said Duterte was “kidnapped” due to the absence of a Philippine court decision sending him to The Hague.

The ICC Trial Chamber III, where Korner serves as the presiding judge, held a status conference for Duterte’s case on May 27. During the conference, the judges scheduled the former president’s trial to begin on November 30.

Duterte faces three counts of crimes against humanity due to his alleged involvement in the killings under his war on drugs and the Davao Death Squad. He was arrested on March 11, 2025, and has since been detained under ICC custody.

On April 23, the ICC pre-trial chamber confirmed the charges against him. The tribunal also affirmed its jurisdiction over Duterte’s case. (TIMELINE: The road to Duterte’s trial at the International Criminal Court)

Not ‘kidnapped’: While Duterte asserts that his arrest was a “kidnapping,” Philippine authorities have rejected this claim. The former president was served an arrest warrant by Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon and then-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Chief Nicolas Torre, who read Duterte his Miranda rights.

The Department of Justice said Duterte’s arrest “complied with both local and international standards” and that “due courtesy and consideration were accorded to the former president.”

According to Malacañang, Duterte’s arrest warrant was issued through the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), with which the Philippines is legally obligated to cooperate. (READ: What are the legal issues in Duterte’s arrest and transfer to The Hague?)

In February 2026, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro again rejected Duterte’s claims of a kidnapping, noting that the former president was aware of the possible arrest warrant and had told supporters that he would be ready to go to prison.

Debunked: Rappler has previously debunked an AI-generated video of Korner supposedly saying Duterte should not be imprisoned.

Other false claims on the ICC and the Duterte case have also been fact-checked:

• FACT CHECK: Video of ICC judge saying Duterte should not be imprisoned is AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: No ICC ruling allowing Duterte to return to PH wearing location tracker 
• FACT CHECK: ICC has jurisdiction over PH drug war cases
• FACT CHECK: Post misuses news report to claim ICC arrest warrant vs Dela Rosa is fake 
• FACT CHECK: ICC has jurisdiction over drug war cases despite PH withdrawal
• FACT CHECK: News graphic claiming ICC will release Duterte is fake 

– Reinnard Balonzo/Rappler.com 

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