A graphic has resurfaced on Facebook which claims Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte threatened to behead President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his family, and the Ilocanos, once the Dutertes return to Malacañang. This is false.
The quote card with the logo of a media outlet and published on Sept. 8 is the same graphic first posted on April 15, bearing the photo of the Duterte scion with an overlaid text that reads:
“Pagbalik namin sa Malanang pupugutan ko ng ulo si BBM at buong angkan niya. Yung
mga Ilocano, humanda kayo marami ring mapupugutan ng ulo sa inyo.”
(“When we return to Malacang, I will behead BBM and his entire clan. As for the
Ilocanos, brace yourselves—many of you will also be beheaded.”)
The graphic is an imitation of a Peanut Gallery Media post that used a photo of Duterte, taken during the launch of the Reform Alliance for Good Governance and Accountability (RAGE) Coalition on April 12 in San Juan City. It was published on April 13, but with a different text.
A review of the full video coverage of the coalition launch streamed on News5’s YouTube channel did not show the Duterte scion making this particular statement. Neither is there any official news report or footage of him saying it. The graphic was previously debunked by several media outlets.
The original statement, shown in the video at timestamp 2:08:25 has the Duterte scion saying:
“Isang ulo lang naman ang kailangan namin, ang ulo ni Bongbong Marcos”
(“We only need one head—the head of Bongbong Marcos”)
This was posted by the Daily Tribune on its Facebook page on July 21 after the clip was played on the 8th day of the impeachment trial as part of the evidence on grave threats charges against VIce President Sara Duterte.
National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag, a prosecution witness, explained the footage was presented as investigators found common threads linking statements made by the mayor to the remarks expressed by his sister regarding the president.
The quote card resurfaced amid heightened political tension between the Marcos administration and the Duterte family as the impeachment trial of the vice president entered its 10th week and an arrest warrant against her was issued for grave threats charges.
The resurfaced graphic was posted by an FB user and FB page PBBM Defenders (created July 20, 2024). Multiple copies were published across several FB accounts and have collectively garnered over 2,329 reactions, 2,526 comments, and 700 shares.
Editor’s Note: This fact check was produced with the help of a journalism student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines as part of their internship at VERA Files.
