FACT CHECK: Duterte not the reason for US sanctions on ICC judges

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The sanctions were imposed due to the ICC's investigations into actions by Israel and the US, not because of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte

Claim: US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on four International Criminal Court (ICC) judges because of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity case.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube channel “Philippines Trending News,” which has 526,000 subscribers, posted the video bearing the claim on June 7. As of writing, the video has garnered 6,116 views and 158 likes. 

The video is titled: “Kakapasok lang! Malaking good news! Sobrang napahiya ang Palasyo sa balitang ito. Lahat nataranta?”

(Just In! Good news! The Palace was utterly humiliated by this news. Everyone panicked?)

The video’s thumbnail, meanwhile, features images of Duterte, the ICC judges, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

According to the video’s narrator, the Trump administration sanctioned the four ICC judges, who were indirectly implied as those who are handling Duterte’s case at the international court.  

The facts: Trump did impose sanctions on four ICC judges, but these are not at all connected to Duterte’s crimes against humanity case.

The US sanctions were due to the war tribunal’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a past decision to open a case into alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan.

The ICC judges sanctioned by Trump’s administration are Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia.

In a June 5 statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “As ICC judges, these four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel.”

Unrelated to Duterte’s case: One of the judges targeted by the sanctions, Gansou, is also involved in Duterte’s case.

However, the former president’s case will likely not be affected by the US sanctions, according to an ICC-accredited counsel.

“I don’t see the sanctions affecting the Duterte case. Duterte is not [Benjamin] Netanyahu who’s an incumbent head of state. Besides, Philippine and US interests in Asia are aligned under the current Marcos administration, unlike in the previous Duterte administration,” said lawyer Joel Butuyan. (READ: Will new US sanctions on ICC judges be felt in Duterte case?)

The ICC also said in a statement that it would “continue its work undeterred.”

Lack of evidence: The video’s thumbnail and title are misleading. Instead of discussing any relation between Duterte’s case and the sanctions, the video primarily focused on issues involving America and Israel.

Debunked: Rappler has previously debunked a similar claim alleging a connection between Trump’s sanctions and Duterte’s case.

Rappler has also previously published several fact-checks involving Duterte and Trump:

• FACT CHECK: Trump’s sanctions on ICC judges not related to Duterte’s case
• FACT CHECK: No Trump promise to free Duterte from ICC custody
• FACT CHECK: US gov’t sanctions on ICC not a response to Duterte arrest

– Lyndee Buenagua/Rappler.com

Lyndee Buenagua is a student journalist based in Baguio and Naga, and an alumna of Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024.

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