ISTANBUL

Meta has suspended the Facebook accounts of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), a Philippine media outlet known for its support of former President Rodrigo Duterte, on Wednesday.

SMNI confirmed the suspension on its website, stating that its affiliates, DZAR 1026 and SMNI Integrated News, were also affected.

According to SMNI, Meta cited violations related to "expressing hatred or contempt for a group of people and using harmful racial stereotypes" as the reason for the ban. In response, SMNI said: "If this is the price for speaking the TRUTH, then so be it. SMNI will always speak the TRUTH THAT MATTERS."

Duterte, who served as the Philippines’ president from 2016 to 2022, is currently facing crimes against humanity charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. He is set to remain in ICC detention until Sept. 23, when the next hearing for the confirmation of charges will take place, according to court records.

The 79-year-old former leader may apply for interim release on health grounds under the Rome Statute, though the ICC has never granted such a request to a suspect facing crimes against humanity charges.

The Philippines ratified the Rome Statute in 2011 but withdrew from the ICC in 2019.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department has urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the writ of habeas corpus petition filed by Duterte’s children, arguing it is "moot," the state-run Philippine News Agency reported Tuesday.

The department said that the petition is baseless since the named respondents do not have custody of the former president. The writ is intended to "relieve a person from unlawful restraint," but Duterte is currently detained under legal proceedings in The Hague.

British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman was appointed as Duterte’s lead legal defense, according to the ICC documents. Additionally, three Filipino lawyers, led by former Justice Secretary Silvestre Bello III, are set to travel to the Netherlands on Wednesday to assist in the case, according to local daily Philstar.

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Tuesday that Vice President Sara Duterte, the former president’s daughter, will not be part of his legal team, despite earlier speculation.

In a related development, Roque is reportedly seeking asylum in the Netherlands, according to the Philippine News Agency. A human trafficking case was filed against him and two others before the Justice Department in late 2024.