A graphic circulating on Facebook claims that Roman Catholic priest and human rights advocate Fr. Flaviano “Flavie” Villanueva said that the country will never be safe as long as any member of the Duterte family remains alive. This is fake.
The post published on Oct. 6 carries the statement:
“Hindi ligtas ang bansa hanggat may Duterte pang nabubuhay
(The country is not safe as long as a Duterte is still alive).”
The composite graphic also bore the caption:
“”HINDI LIGTAS ANG BANSA HANGGAT MAY DUTERTE PANG NABUBUHAY” FR. VILLANUEVA KINWESTIYON ANG IMPLUWENSYA NG MGA DUTERTE
Nagbigay ng matinding political reaction si Fr. Flavie Villanueva matapos muling uminit ang mga alegasyon laban sa pamilya Duterte kasunod ng press conference ni dating Sen. Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV.
Batay sa post na ibinahagi, diretsahang tinanong ng pari: “Pagkatapos ng mga narinig at nakita natin, ligtas ba ang ating bansa na may isang Duterte sa paligid natin? Hindi ligtas ang bansa hanggat may Duterte pang nabubuhay.”
Noong Oktubre 2, inakusahan ni Trillanes si Vice President Sara Duterte at ang asawa nitong si Manases “Mans” Carpio na nakatanggap umano ng malaking halaga mula sa China sa pamamagitan ng foundation at kumpanyang inuugnay sa kanila.
(“THE COUNTRY IS NOT SAFE AS LONG AS A DUTERTE IS STILL ALIVE” FR. VILLANUEVA QUESTIONED THE INFLUENCE OF THE DUTERTES
Fr. Flavie Villanueva’s reaction was brutal after allegations against the Duterte family heated up again following the press conference of former Sen. Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV.
According to the shared post, the priest asked pointedly: “After what we have heard and seen, is our country safe with a Duterte around us? The country is not safe as long as a Duterte is still alive”
On Oct. 2, Trillanes accused Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Manases “Mans” Carpio, of allegedly receiving a large sum from China through a foundation and company linked to them).”
The claim originated from unverified social media pages that cited the post without a source, and attributed the statement to Fr. Flavie, following the Oct. 2 press conference of Trillanes. The former senator presented what he said was evidence supporting the alleged unexplained wealth of the vice president.
The priest-founder of Arnold Janssen Kalinga Center for the Homeless and Program Paghilom (Healing) never issued any statement regarding the country’s safety with the Dutertes around. Neither did he wish harm or death on any official.
A critic of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, he has provided assistance to families of victims of extrajudicial killings, through the center and his program.
During an interview on Oct. 5, instead of wishing death on political figures or declaring the country unsafe, the priest’s recorded message explicitly advocates for discernment in 2028 and restorative healing for the country.
The fabricated post surfaced four days after Trillanes’ press conference alleging financial transactions between Chinese entities and Duterte and her husband. The post falsely tied Trillanes’ allegations to Villanueva without providing any supporting source links.
Posted by the Facebook page Showbizness with 152,000 followers, the post has so far garnered 12,456 reactions; 17,900 comments; and 1,000 shares.
