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This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
The original audio used in the Facebook reel was taken from a news report in 2022, when former president Fidel Ramos passed away at age 94
Claim: Former president Rodrigo Duterte could not bear the cold in The Hague, Netherlands and passed away at the age of 94.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: A 14-second Facebook reel bearing the said claim has already received an estimated 3.7 million views, 16,500 reactions, 8,900 comments, and 5,400 shares as of writing.
It was posted on May 24, 2025, two months after Duterte was arrested and sent to the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention facility in The Hague, Netherlands to face charges of crimes against humanity.
The text on the video says, “Totoo ba itong balita kay Tatay Digong kasi hindi kinaya ‘yong lamig? (Is this news true about Tatay Digong because he couldn’t handle the cold?)”
A moving text below reads, “Pumanaw na po si dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ayon sa office of the press secretary. Pumanaw ang dating pangulo sa edad na ninety-four kanina. Nagpahatid sila ng pakikiramay sa pamilya, kaibigan at mga mahal sa buhay.”
(Former President Rodrigo Duterte has passed away, according to the office of the press secretary. The former president passed away at the age of ninety-four earlier today. They sent condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.)
The facts: Duterte is alive. He is currently being held at the ICC detention facility in The Hague, Netherlands to face charges of crimes against humanity. In fact, Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, went back to The Hague on May 29, 2025 to visit her father.
Additionally, contrary to the claim of the Facebook reel, Duterte is not 94 years old. He just turned 80 years old on March 28, 2025 while detained in the said facility.
The original audio used in the Facebook reel was taken from a 24 Oras news report on July 31, 2022, when former president Fidel V. Ramos passed away at 94 years old. The name of Ramos was removed from the audio so that it could be used to falsely claim that former president Duterte has also died.
ICC arrest: Duterte was arrested on March 11, 2025 upon his return from Hong Kong. He was eventually sent to The Hague, Netherlands to face ICC trials for his war on drugs that killed almost 30,000 victims, according to tallies of human rights groups.
He is currently waiting for his next hearing on September 23, 2025, for confirmation of charges. Recently, the camp of Duterte appealed to remove two judges due to “perceived bias,” which the ICC rejected.
Duterte’s age: Duterte’s supporters have been pointing out Duterte’s old age and health as reasons why he should be released from detention. Duterte’s son, Paolo Duterte, is also looking forward to his father’s return as a “super senior citizen” in the country. But lawyers have pointed out that neither age nor health are sufficient grounds for release.
Previous fact-checks: Rappler has already fact-checked false claims about Duterte’s death:
– Angelee Kaye Abelinde/Rappler.com
Angelee Kaye Abelinde, a campus journalist from Naga City, is a second-year Journalism student of Bicol University and the current copy editor of The Bicol Universitarian. She is a graduate of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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