FACT CHECK: Video of ICC judge saying Duterte should not be imprisoned is AI-generated - Rappler

In late May 2024, a manipulated video circulated on Facebook falsely depicting International Criminal Court (ICC) Judge Joanna Korner stating that former president Rodrigo Duterte should not be imprisoned. The video, which gained thousands of views and misled numerous social media users, claimed that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction over the Philippines.

What happened

The deceptive content featured a video of Judge Korner with audio claiming she said, “Rodrigo Duterte should not be imprisoned. The Philippines is no longer an ICC member.” This fake narrative was reinforced by superimposed text asserting that the ICC lacked legal authority to detain the former president.

Technical analysis confirmed the video was synthetic. Hive Moderation flagged the content as 99% likely to contain AI-generated speech, and an analysis by Sight Engine on a screenshot of the video also indicated a 99% likelihood of it being AI-generated. The incident occurred shortly after an ICC status conference regarding the trial of Duterte, who is being held in The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity.

Official records and investigations by multiple fact-checking organizations confirmed that the statement was never made. The ICC had previously affirmed its jurisdiction over the case in an April 22 decision, noting that the alleged crimes occurred while the Philippines was still a state party to the Rome Statute. Furthermore, the ICC had actually scheduled the trial to commence on November 30, directly contradicting the claims made in the deepfake video. The manipulation attempted to exploit public confusion regarding the ICC’s legal standing and the status of Duterte’s ongoing legal proceedings.