A video posted on Facebook (FB) claims Vice President Sara Duterte wants to remain in her position “forever.” This needs context.
Published on Feb. 15, the 27-second video made rounds on the platform and continues to garner views. It showed Duterte in an interview on GMA Integrated News’ 24 Oras, saying:
“Ayaw ko na bumaba; sa akin na ito forever kaya sisirain ko kayong lahat. Wala akong pakielam kung totoo man o hindi ang paninira ko sa inyo basta lang masira kayo. ‘Yan ang motibo diyan. It’s all about politics, everything is about politics and power.”
(I don’t want to step down; [the VP post] is forever mine so I’ll destroy all of you. I don’t care if what I’m saying against you is true or not, for as long as it will ruin you. That’s the motive there. It’s all about politics, everything is about politics and power.)
The caption also read:
“Ang motibo ni inday sara, dapat pabang iluklok mga gantong leader?“ (The motive of Inday Sara, should a leader like this still be elected?)
The erroneous clip was missing the crucial context that Duterte was not referring to herself but to the people behind a public survey asking Filipinos if they were pro-Duterte or pro-Marcos.
The footage used in the inaccurate video is from the Aug. 8, 2024 episode of GMA News’ 24 Oras where the vice president reacted to the OCTA Research survey, which indicated a decline in pro-Duterte Filipinos.
Although the video clip included the 24 Oras‘ news ticker, which read, “VP SA SURVEY NA NAGTATANONG KUNG PRO-MARCOS O PRO-DUTERTE: ANG MOTIBO AY MANATILI SA KAPANGYARIHAN,” it left out the initial part of Duterte’s statement, which said:
“Nakakagulat lang kasi ngayon lang ako nakakita ng survey na ang tanong ay pro-Marcos ka ba or pro-Duterte ka… Mababasa mo naman kaagad, eh, ang motibo diyan is perpetuation in power. So, lahat ng threat sa power mo, sisirain mo talaga. It’s very obvious. Sa lahat ng naririnig mo, nakikita mo na ginagawa, ang motibo d’yan is, ‘Ayaw ko na bumaba, sa akin na ito forever kaya sisirain ko kayong lahat…‘”
(I’m surprised because this is the first time I saw a survey where the question is if you’re pro-Marcos or pro-Duterte… You can easily read it, the motive is perpetuation in power. So, everything that threatens your power, you will really ruin it. It’s very obvious. All that your hear and all that you see [that] they’re doing, the motive there is, ‘I don’t want to step down, [the VP post] is forever mine, so I’ll destroy all of you…’)
The video circulated several days after the House of Representatives impeached the vice president on Feb. 5.
It was posted by the FB page PH News Trend (created Aug. 2, 2022) and has since garnered over 1,600 reactions, 565,000 views, 228 comments and 171 shares.
