Presiding Judge Lulia Antoanella Motoc (ICC)

The pro-Duterte disinformation campaign has caused "national embarrassment", especially after online fake news peddlers began to target International Criminal Court (ICC) Judge Lulia Motoc, the presiding judge in former president Rodrigo Duterte's crimes against humanity case.

Thus, said House Deputy Majority Leader La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega, who described the sheer volume of disinformation about the case online as "disturbing" and "humiliating".

False claims circulated that Motoc lacked English proficiency, despite official ICC records confirming she is fluent in five languages, including English. 

Other misleading posts falsely linked her to the Marcos family by misidentifying her in a photo with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

“The attacks on Judge Motoc show how far disinformation networks will go to distort reality and discredit legal proceedings. They’re fabricating stories, questioning credibility, and spreading outright lies just to muddy the waters,” Ortega said.

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The Ilocano earlier denounced the false narratives spread by former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea, which included claims that Duterte was missing and that the ICC was not providing him medical attention.

Medialdea is Duterte's legal counsel in the ICC hearings. 

“Many people were agitated by these misleading statements, and we must hold accountable those who are deliberately peddling fake news to manipulate public perception," Ortega said.