A TikTok account posing as an online news source is claiming that former senator Antonio Trillanes IV has filed a disbarment complaint against the 16-member defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte in her ongoing impeachment trial. This is not true.
Originally published on July 9, the graphic tagged as “breaking news” bore a photo of Duterte with her legal team taken by the Office of the Vice President on July 7, when she visited them at the Senate on the second day of the trial. The post carried the text:
“Trillanes, naghain ng disbarment case laban sa kampo ni VP Sara
MANILA, Philippines – Naghain si dating senador Antonio Trillanes IV ng disbarment complaint laban kina Atty. Sheila Sison, Michael Poa, Atty. Narvasa, at iba pang miyembro ng legal team ni Vice President Sara Duterte.
(Trillanes files disbarment case against VP Sara’s camp
MANILA, Philippines – Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV has filed a disbarment complaint against Atty. Sheila Sison, Michael Poa, Atty. Narvasa, and other members of Vice President Duterte’s legal team).”
The post’s caption further claimed that the ex-senator sought the disbarment due to “alleged violation of legal ethics and professional responsibility rules in connection with Duterte’s camp handling of the ongoing impeachment proceedings.”
Disbarment complaints can be lodged with the Supreme Court or the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the official organization of Filipino lawyers. As of press time, neither institution had issued any official statement or notice on their official websites or social media accounts regarding the alleged complaint by Trillanes.
Even Trillanes, who has posted updates regarding various complaints he filed separately this year, including the plunder and graft charges against Duterte on Jan. 21, did not publish photos or videos of him filing the supposed disbarment case against the vice president’s defense team.
Despite the spurious graphic’s “breaking news” label, no reputable media organization has reported on it.
The post carrying the made-up complaint first surfaced two days after Duterte appeared in the Senate, not to attend her impeachment trial but to meet with her lawyers. Facing reporters at the chamber on July 7, the vice president delivered a brief statement saying, “In this bloodbath and bludgeoning, I will be bloodied but unbowed.” She did not entertain questions.
The fraudulent graphic, originally posted by TikTok account juanrepubliconlinenews, has been viewed 1.3 million times and received 17,700 reactions; 1,761 comments and 683 shares. At least 11 posts carried the manufactured claim on Facebook, collectively garnering 11,696 interactions. Two other users cross-posted it on Instagram.
