So I've been digging into something pretty wild over the past few months. A year after the ICC moved against Duterte in March 2025, what's actually happening at The Hague vs. what's flooding the internet are basically two completely different stories.

Here's what caught my attention: while the legal proceedings are moving forward, there's this coordinated machine pumping out fake claims non-stop. We're talking hundreds of false narratives debunked, each reaching hundreds of thousands to millions of people. The playbook is pretty consistent - fake release announcements, spliced videos, deepfakes, fake court orders. All designed to bury the actual ICC facts under manufactured noise.

Rappler tracked over 100 fact-checks just on the ICC case alone between March 2025 and February 2026. Out of 540 total fact-checks, that's a significant chunk. The most common lie? Claims about Duterte's release - 42 different variations across Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and fake news sites. Then you've got 29 debunked fake court updates, and 26 claims about Philippine institutions supposedly invalidating ICC authority.

What's really concerning is the scale of the operation. YouTube channels like Reaction TV PH (570k subscribers) and Pinoy Views & Opinion (nearly 1M) have been systematically amplifying this disinformation while attacking the Marcos administration and shielding the Dutertes. By May 2025, they'd pivoted to AI deepfakes - 21 debunked in that month alone, timed with the midterm elections to benefit Duterte allies.

But here's where it gets darker. The disinformation doesn't just target Duterte's case - it's weaponized against the victims. Accounts like Cathy Binag, who has over 290,000 Facebook followers, have been using deepfakes to attack drug war victims' families. I saw one debunked claim showing AI-generated photos of victims' relatives with luxury bags to suggest they were "paid" or fabricating stories. At least five other coordinated attacks on the victims' families have been documented.

When the release narratives don't stick, they switch tactics - spreading rumors about Duterte's health or death. Since his detention, nine separate false claims about him being too frail or near death have been debunked. Meanwhile, the ICC has consistently confirmed through medical assessments that he's fit to continue proceedings.

What strikes me most is how organized and adaptive this disinformation ecosystem is. It's not random noise - it's a deliberate strategy to blur facts with myths and manufacture support. As the pre-trial hearings continue revealing more details, this wave of false claims keeps evolving. The whole thing reads like a case study in how coordinated digital manipulation works at scale.