SUMMARY
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In a March 2025 post, the broadcast journalist debunks statements falsely attributed to him expressing support for Duterte and his war on drugs
Claim: News anchor Noli De Castro expressed support for former president Rodrigo Duterte, who was arrested and transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over crimes against humanity charges.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: Posts bearing the claim continue to circulate on Facebook following Duterte’s arrest last March 11. As of writing, a post from the Facebook page 4GM VLOGS received 59 reactions, two comments, and 12 shares.
The post includes a lengthy caption defending Duterte against criticism of extrajudicial killings that occurred during his war on drugs. De Castro supposedly said of Duterte: “Di ko alam bat ako nakakaramdam ng awa sa dating pangulo, lalo na’t makita ko yong physical appearance niya and siguro dahil mahal ko din ang magulang ko.”
(I don’t know why I feel sorry for the former president, especially when I saw his physical appearance and maybe because I also love my parents.)
The facts: On March 17, De Castro debunked the alleged statement through his social media accounts. He posted screenshots of the viral posts on his Facebook and Instagram accounts, marking them “FAKE” to refute the statements falsely attributed to him.
According to an ABS-CBN fact check article published on March 18, the image of De Castro frequently used in these misleading posts was taken from a TV Patrol broadcast aired on March 14, where De Castro reported on Duterte’s arrest. Earlier versions of the claim included a screenshot of the broadcaster reporting from the ABS-CBN news studio.
This is not the first time Rappler has debunked false quotes attributed to known personalities, both real and fictional, in relation to Duterte’s arrest:
- FACT CHECK: Quote card on Duterte arrest cites fictional lawyer Elle Woods
- FACT CHECK: Fake quote cards expressing support for Duterte cite fictional characters
- FACT CHECK: Quote cards of Trump’s statements on Duterte arrest are fake
- FACT CHECK: Vice Ganda quote card on Duterte drug war, pandemic response is fake
ICC arrest: Since Duterte’s arrest, social media has been flooded with false claims alleging statements of support for the former president or incorrect information about the status of his case.
Supporters of the former president have used boosted content and entertainment networks to manipulate public opinion about Duterte and paint him as a victim of politics. (READ: [DECODED] How online supporters made a victim of Duterte after ICC arrest)
Current updates: Duterte is currently detained in The Hague, awaiting the September 23 confirmation of charges hearing. (READ: What to expect in the 6 months before Duterte’s ICC pre-trial)
His lead defense lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, said Duterte will be challenging the ICC’s jurisdiction over his case and will separately apply for an interim release “when the conditions are ripe.”
Ahead of the confirmation of charges hearing, the ICC pre-trial chamber gave the prosecution until July 1 to submit evidence against Duterte. The former president’s legal team had earlier requested to restrict the victim verification process in its investigation into the drug war, a request later denied by the pre-trial chamber. – Samantha Audrey Evangelista/Rappler.com
Samantha Audrey Evanglista is a Rappler volunteer. They are a third-year BA Communication Research student at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
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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