Fake posts claim fictional characters support Duterte

A false social media post has gained traction claiming that the fictional character Elle Woods from the Legally Blonde franchise expressed support for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte following his arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 14.

The posts, featuring logos of NBC News and other news outlets, falsely attribute statements to characters who do not exist in reality; Rappler's fact-checking has revealed that these quote cards are fake.

Rappler previously debunked similar claims involving fictional lawyers Annalise Keating from How to Get Away with Murder and Saul Goodman from Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul.

The ICC maintains its jurisdiction over Duterte despite the Philippines withdrawing from the Rome Statute in 2019, citing crimes committed during the period when the country was a State Party to the treaty.

False claims and disinformation continue to circulate online as Duterte's supporters seek to manipulate public opinion regarding his arrest and potential trial before the ICC.