Jea Nicole Jacot

CLAIM: Four months after Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Facebook personality “Chari Murphy” posted an image of him appearing frail and sickly on a hospital bed. The post, overlaid with the text "My prayers are always with you," further lamented Duterte's depicted condition in its caption. It stated, "Only God knows what comes next," suggesting that he does not deserve to be in such a state and that his declining health would distress millions of Filipinos.


As of writing, the image has drawn 272, 319 reactions, 23, 000 shares, and 50, 582 comments.

Rating: ALTERED

CONCLUSION: 

The image, aiming to gain sympathy, shows signs of digital alteration, likely from AI generation or other photo-manipulation techniques. This includes Duterte's face seeming pasted onto the body, with his facial features and expression unnaturally inconsistent given the depicted ill-health condition. The overall image also has unrealistic, dull lighting.
 
Arrested on March 11 for charges of crimes against humanity during his bloody war on drugs campaign, Duterte is currently detained at the ICC Detention Center in Scheveningen, The Hague. He is staying in the detention quarters—not a hospital—of a facility described as offering "safe, secure, and humane custody." 

Moreover, The International Committee of the Red Cross is granted “unrestricted access” to the ICC Detention Center. It would allow their staff to conduct unannounced visits “with the purpose of examining the treatment of the detained persons, their living conditions and their physical and psychological conditions, in conformity with widely accepted international standards governing the treatment of persons deprived of liberty.”

Since his arrest, widespread misinformation has circulated about the former president’s health. Supporters have expressed concerns over unverified claims regarding his medical condition. 

In her recent visit to The Hague on July 8, Duterte’s former wife Elizabeth Zimmerman said he is now “skin and bones,” pertaining to his significant weight loss in his four-month detention. 
 
She said his weight dropped because he disliked the food at the ICC detention facility. Despite this, she believes Duterte is healthy and is no longer taking any meds.

Vice President Sara Duterte, who also visited the center, stated that his father asked to be cremated in the Philippines if he passes away while in detention. This may explain why the misleading Facebook post implied the worst for Duterte's health. 

In the ICC pre-trial hearing on March 14, Duterte's legal counsel reported "debilitating medical issues, hard of hearing, and poor of sight" as reasons for him being unable to attend physically.  He instead participated through a video call.

Presiding Judge Iulia Motoc, however, noted that ICC doctors had assessed Duterte's health upon arrival at the detention center and reported that he was "fully mentally aware and fit."

Unlike the overcrowded jails and slow-moving justice system faced by thousands of Filipinos during his drug war, Duterte is in a detention facility that offers much more comfort compared to typical Philippine prison standards, with medical assistance readily available to him.