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Remember when social media posts painted Duterte as the victim, frail for his old age but at the same time formidable? We’re seeing them resurface.
It was a historic day, March 11.
The International Criminal Police Organization arrested former president Rodrigo Duterte over a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), making him the first former Philippine president to be arrested through an order by an international tribunal.
Duterte is no stranger to unprecedented events. He institutionalized disinformation in the Philippines, normalized large-scale disinformation networks to shape public opinion, and legitimized partisan vloggers by giving them government positions.
He was the first Philippine president to build a political movement largely through social media. Although many of his supporters were organic, he also leveraged social media and used coordinated networks to attack critics and journalists.
So, of course, when the news broke out, our team scoured social media platforms to monitor public sentiment and see how netizens were reacting to Duterte’s arrest. Although some supported the arrest, much of what we observed made us feel like it’s the early years of the Duterte administration again.
Remember when posts on social media would paint Duterte as the victim and frail for his old age, but at the same time formidable? We saw these claims when social media posts defended Duterte and his bloody war on drugs. Now, we’re seeing them resurface, where he’s portrayed as a hero who’s willing to do whatever it takes for his country.
Duterte supporters are also crying unlawfulness — a tactic they have been deploying since the ICC launched an investigation into the war on drugs. Back then, Duterte and his allies dismissed the probe as an attack on Philippine sovereignty and framed it as foreign interference rather than a legitimate pursuit of justice.
Today, key allies such as Salvador Panelo and his family are touting the same narrative, falsely claiming that Duterte’s arrest is “illegal.”
We’re also seeing rehashed posts about how the ICC has no jurisdiction over him and the Philippines — a claim that Rappler has already fact-checked. While it’s true that the ICC’s authority does not extend to making arrests within non-member states (the Philippines withdrew in 2019), Interpol’s involvement facilitates Duterte’s transfer to The Hague, where the ICC can begin the proceedings.
These are just our initial observations. We’re continuing to monitor developments, including disinformation and propaganda, as the situation unfolds. We’re expecting to see more since our previous investigation showed how the Duterte social media army is still very much alive, thanks to supporters of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Have you seen similar narratives on your news feeds? Let us know by sending us an email at hello@thenerve.co. – Rappler.com
The Nerve is a data forensics company that enables changemakers to navigate real-world trends and issues through narrative and network investigations. Taking the best of human and machine, we enable partners to unlock powerful insights that shape informed decisions. Composed of a team of data scientists, strategists, award-winning storytellers, and designers, the company is on a mission to deliver data with real-world impact.
