More than two weeks after GMA News aired its exclusive report on the cash delivery allegations by dismissed policeman Rodulfo Mondigo Gracioso Jr. against Vice President Sara Duterte, a YouTube video claims that the latter filed a libel suit against the network. This is false.
Published on Oct. 6, the 11-minute, 27-second video bore a title that read:
“GMA KINASUHAN NI VP SARA! LIBEL CASE IS WAVING! MAPAPASARA NA ANG GMA? (GMA sues by VP Sara! Libel case is waving! Will GMA be shut down?)”
A text on its thumbnail said in Filipino that “GMA is about to be sued by VP Sara for libel, and it looks like it will end up like ABS-CBN, which Digong (former president Rodrigo) shut down.”
While the vice president jokingly asked during an Oct. 6 press conference if she could file a P200-million libel suit against GMA News—which elicited laughter from some journalists present—she has not yet filed a complaint as of writing.
Duterte made the remark while accusing the media organization of “not checking” whether the house pointed out by Gracioso was actually their residence. In the exclusive interview with GMA News, among the pictures shown by the former cop was a group photo he claimed was taken after he and his companions delivered P500 million to Duterte’s house.
After bringing about filing a lawsuit, she added, seemingly in jest: “Ay, hindi…Ano kasi, ‘pag ni-libel ko sila, baka magsara ‘yung kumpanya niyo.”
Duterte’s entire statement was included in the YouTube video but it still claimed that she is planning or has already filed libel against GMA News, which elicited negative comments from netizens. Some commenters even called for the network’s closure supposedly for being “biased.”
The spurious claim emerged on the same day Duterte denied the claims of Gracioso that she allegedly received suitcases containing millions of pesos from former House speaker Lord Allan Velasco, under whom he served as a close-in security.
Duterte said during the presser that she believed Gracioso has no personal grudge against her and was simply motivated by money, citing an alleged disagreement between him and Velasco.
On Oct. 7, Duterte’s lawyer Clifford Chua submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation an affidavit, saying that it contained records, photographs and other supporting documents that refute the “statements and lies made by Gracioso.”
Chua said the vice president is considering filing perjury charges against Velasco’s former security aide.
The incorrect video, posted by YouTube channel Robin Sweet Showbiz (created on July 25, 2017), has so far received 1,100 reactions, 85 comments and 20,337 views. At least two users reposted the link to the fraudulent video on Facebook on Oct. 6 and 8.
