Chinese warplane escort claim for Duterte is false

A recent claim on TikTok suggested that a Chinese warplane escorted former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's plane to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands. This claim, which accumulated millions of views, is false. The TikTok video did not provide evidence to support the claim. The content only features a plane in flight, without any corroborating details. Official sources have not confirmed that any Chinese military aircraft were involved in Duterte's travel. Duterte was arrested on March 11 following a warrant from the ICC for charges related to his controversial war on drugs. He was taken to the Villamor Air Base and left for the Netherlands that same night. His flight arrived in the Netherlands just before midnight Philippine time. The Philippine government confirmed that Duterte’s plane was chartered by the Office of the President, clarifying that it was part of an existing lease agreement. China's Foreign Ministry responded to questions about Duterte’s arrest, emphasizing a stance against "double standards" by the ICC. Duterte had previously expressed warm relations with China, particularly with President Xi Jinping. Duterte made his first appearance before the ICC on March 14 via video link. He is currently in custody in The Hague, awaiting further proceedings set for September.