Editor’s Note: This article was updated on March 3, 2026. An initial version reflected a Needs Context rating but several of the fact-checked posts actually merited a False rating, upon further inspection. A clearer distinction between which posts were false and which ones lacked context have been made in the story.
Days after Vice President Sara Duterte announced her intention to run for president in the 2028 elections, two quote cards began circulating online, suggesting she wants to stay in power for 30 years. The posts are false.
Since Feb. 22, Facebook pages and users have been sharing two versions of a graphic bearing the vice president’s photo and her supposed remark that she wants to lead the country beyond the term limit of six years.
False quote
One version of the quote card carried a completely false statement attributed to Duterte:
“Gusto kong mamuno ng 30-years, ayaw ko [ng] 6-years hindi kaya (I want to lead for 30 years. I don’t want six years, it’s not enough).”
The graphic indicated that this was her answer to a question on “whether she can lead the country for six years.”
A reader sent a message to the VERA Files Misinformation Tipline to check the veracity of this quote card.
Quote lacking context
The second version of the graphic carried a slightly different statement, but with the premise of answering the same question in the first quote card:
“Kulang ang 6-years para ayusin ang bansa, siguro 30-years (Six years is not enough to fix a country, maybe 30 years).”
This version needs context.
Duterte did not say she wants to stay in power for 30 years. Instead, what she did say is that long-term change for the country may require that length of time. She recommended that a sitting president have a “realistic” action plan within the term limit, and leave a plan for the next presidents to continue.
The question and the vice president’s response in an SMNI interview were slightly changed in the circulating graphics.
On Feb. 21, the YouTube channel of SMNI’s DZAR 1026 streamed an interview of the vice president with pro-Duterte vloggers Byron Cristobal (also known by his vlogging name Banat By) and Darwin Salceda (Boss Dada).
At the 1:02:29-hour mark, Boss Dada asked:
“VP, in terms of ‘yung problema na mayroon tayo dito ngayon sa Pilipinas, do you think kaya mong ayusin ‘yung lala ng problema na ginawa ng administration na ‘to sa Pilipinas? Kaya ba nating maka-recover talaga
(VP, in terms of the problems that we currently have here in the Philippines, do you think you can take care of the mess created by this administration? Can we really recover)?”
Duterte said:
“In six years, hindi, eh. To turn around a country, you need at least 30 years. So dapat mayroong long-term na continuity. ‘Yun ‘yon. Long-term na plano, long-term na continuity na paniniguraduin mo na ‘yung susunod, hindi niya pababayaan, babaliktarin o ibabasura ‘yung nagawa nung nauna. Kasi ‘yun ‘yung sikreto ng pag-unlad, eh. Kasi kulang ang six years para ayusin ang isang bansa. Minimum of 30 years. Siguro kung parang walang tulugan… 25 years. … We’ll shave off five years. Pero kasi ang termino ng isang pangulo, let us be realistic, six years lang ‘yon. So dapat ang papaniguraduhin mo diyan ay ‘yung magagawa mo for six years at ‘yung iiwan mo na plano para sa mga susunod
(In six years, no. To turn around a country you need at least 30 years. So there should be long-term continuity. That’s it. A long-term plan, long-term continuity where you ensure that the next one, he/she will not abandon, reverse or discard what was done before. Because that’s the secret of progress. Because six years is not enough to fix a country. Minimum of 30 years. Maybe if you won’t sleep, 25 years… We’ll shave off five years. But the term of a president, let’s be realistic, is only six years. So what you should ensure is what you can do for six years and what you leave as a plan for the next ones).”
Duterte did not say that she wants to stay in office for 30 years, as the graphic claims.
Other FB pages and users have since reposted the graphic which lacks context.
The quote card began circulating four days after Duterte declared her intention to run for president in 2028. She is currently facing four impeachment complaints at the House of Representatives, where proceedings have been formally initiated.
VERA Files has debunked a number of disinforming posts related to the vice president’s announcement.
The first version of the graphic originated from satirical FB page Parang Mali (created on April 7, 2021), whose post did not include any indication that the quote card was a spoof. It garnered 6,800 reactions, 1,700 comments and 286 shares. At least seven posts by other FB users and pages such as Balita para sa Bagong Pilipinas (June 13, 2021) and Pancit Hab-Hab (Nov. 13, 2021) collectively garnered 28,180 reactions, 8,968 comments, and 990 shares. Other X users have reposted the quote cards.
