FACT CHECK: ICC judge Iulia Motoc is alive

Claim: Iulia Motoc, presiding judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber I handling the case of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, is dead. 

Rating: FALSE 

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook reel bearing the claim has already received 565,000 views, 8,200 reactions, 1,500 shares, and 1,100 comments as of writing. It was posted on January 6, coinciding with the ICC’s rejection of the Duterte camp’s bid to access communications involving medical experts assessing his fitness to stand trial. 

The post shows a black and white photo of Motoc and Philippine Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla. Another photo of Motoc shows her lying on a hospital bed, seemingly in critical condition. 

The post also shows a screenshot of a YouTube video thumbnail with text that reads, “ICC judges na humatol kay PRRD comatose? Tila nagkakatotoo ang sumpa ni PRRD! ICC judge pumanaw na?”

(ICC judges who ruled on [former president Rodrigo Duterte’s case] were comatose? It seems that Duterte’s curse is coming true! ICC judge has passed away?) 

Many Facebook users in the comment section believed the claim. One wrote, “Malapit na tayo magdiwang, nakakarma n cla lhat (Our time of celebration is near, karma is getting to them).” 

The facts: Motoc is alive. The judge’s name and signature can still be seen in a recent decision dated January 7, rejecting the Duterte camp’s request for an expert report on his risk factors under the Rome Statute. 

There are also no reports from various credible news sites confirming that Motoc supposedly fell into a coma and died. The Facebook reel presents no proof to back up its claim.

Similar false claims about the death of personalities involved in Duterte’s case have previously been debunked, including a death hoax about Remulla. A few days after the false claim began to circulate, the Ombudsman appeared live on DZRH News radio show on January 3. 

In April 2025, the then-justice secretary had admitted that the clearances provided by his department were crucial in the March 2025 arrest of Duterte and his subsequent transfer to the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands. 

ICC judge: Motoc is among the judges presiding over Duterte’s case at the ICC. A former judge at the European Court of Human Rights from 2013 to 2023, Motoc started her term in the ICC on March 11, 2024, a year before Duterte’s arrest. 

Motoc holds a law degree from the University of Bucharest, a master’s degree, and a Doctor of Philosophy in International Law from the University Paul Cezanne, Aix-Marseille III. She also served as a professor of international law and previously worked as a United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

Motoc has been the subject of disinformation and trolling from Duterte supporters who spammed her social media account and appealed for the former president’s release. 

Duterte’s arrest:  Three years after his term as Philippine president, Duterte was arrested on March 11, 2025. He is currently facing charges of crimes against humanity for his administration’s war on drugs and extrajudicial killings. 

Duterte remains in jail after the ICC rejected his interim release appeal in November 2025. 

Previous fact-checks: Rappler has previously fact-checked similar claims about ICC judges and Duterte’s detention: 

• FACT CHECK: No ICC judges removed from Duterte’s case 
• FACT CHECK: Duterte’s ICC case still ongoing 
• FACT CHECK: No order from ICC president to release Duterte ahead of his birthday 
• FACT CHECK: Mainstream media reported on US, Russia sanctions on ICC judges 
• FACT CHECK: Quote card of ICC prosecutor defending Duterte is fake 
• FACT CHECK: Quote card about Duterte’s health cites fake doctor 

– Angelee Kaye Abelinde/Rappler.com 

Angelee Kaye Abelinde is a student journalist based in Naga City, and an alumna of Rappler’s Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship 2024. 

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