Disinformation at Full Throttle: Pro-Duterte Networks Twist the Truth Ahead of ICC Arrest

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The pro-Duterte disinformation machine has once again roared to life..even before FPRRD was sent to the Hauge—this time, to rewrite the narrative of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s long-awaited surrender to the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

Within hours of Duterte’s legal team and family branding his arrest as a "kidnapping," an army of at least 200 seemingly unrelated Facebook accounts had already flooded social media with identical claims that law enforcers had "abducted" him. The synchronized misinformation campaign, an all-too-familiar tactic from the Duterte playbook, underscores the desperation of his loyalists to manipulate public perception.

The False Narrative: A Last-Ditch Effort to Deceive

The crux of the DDS (Diehard Duterte Supporters) narrative is clear: paint Duterte as a victim. They are attempting to manufacture outrage by framing the arrest as unlawful, stirring paranoia among his supporters, and stoking anti-ICC sentiments. The goal? To pressure the government into resisting international justice, even at the cost of the Philippines’ credibility as a member of the global community.

But let’s set the record straight. Duterte was not kidnapped. He was surrendered, a legal course of action under local and international law, especially when domestic judicial mechanisms are inadequate or compromised. This was a foreseeable consequence of the ICC’s investigation into the thousands of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) under his administration’s bloody "war on drugs." And let’s not forget—Duterte himself repeatedly dared the ICC to come after him.

"Next time, be careful what you wish for."

The ICC Is Not Easily Deceived

What Duterte’s propaganda machine fails to grasp is that the ICC is not the same as the Filipino public they have long manipulated with historical distortions and fake news. The international legal community operates on verifiable evidence, not on orchestrated social media hysteria. In fact, the more DDS pages attempt to spin Duterte’s predicament with exaggerated claims of victimhood—while in the same breath glorifying his violent policies—the more they incriminate him in the eyes of the ICC.

Their loud, coordinated defense does not erase the bloodstains of thousands of lives lost under Duterte’s drug war. If anything, their obsession with framing him as a martyr only serves as an ironic confirmation of his culpability.

Double Standards: Silence for the Victims, Fury for Duterte

It is also telling that Duterte’s supporters, who once dismissed human rights violations as collateral damage, are now screaming "injustice" when it’s their idol on the receiving end of the law. Where was this outrage when families of EJK victims cried for justice? Where was this energy when activists, journalists, and dissenters were unlawfully silenced, abducted, or killed?

This is not an act of vengeance. This is accountability—a principle that must apply equally regardless of power, status, or age.

Troll Farms: The Machinery of Deception

Adding to the blatant manipulation is the undeniable activation of Duterte's private troll farms—this time, without access to government confidential funds but still fully operational. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) must urgently investigate and charge those responsible for this large-scale disinformation effort, especially with elections looming. Disinformation is not just an online nuisance; it is a weapon that threatens democracy and justice.

The difference between the authorities and the DDS narrative is stark: the government followed its legal mandate, while Duterte’s camp resorted to lies.

The Verdict of History

Duterte’s moment of reckoning has arrived, not because of political maneuvering but because the wheels of justice—though slow—never stop turning. His surrender to the ICC is a historic step toward accountability, one that will set a precedent for holding leaders accountable for crimes against humanity. No amount of troll-driven disinformation can erase the reality that Duterte now faces: Justice is coming, and no fabricated narrative can stand in its way.

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