A graphic making the rounds in Facebook claims that Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio said she will step down from office if the International Criminal Court releases her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte. The news card is fake.
On Feb. 4, a Facebook user uploaded a graphic falsely attributed to media organization One News. The image featured a teary-eyed Duterte-Carpio and a supposed “press release” headline:
“SARA DUTERTE, MAGBIBITIW SA PAG KA VICE PRESIDENT KAPAG PINALAYA RAW ANG KANYANG AMA SA ICC (SARA DUTERTE WILL RESIGN AS VICE PRESIDENT IF HER FATHER IS RELEASED FROM ICC).”
The news card is fabricated and there are no credible reports of the vice president making such a statement.
There are no statements on Duterte-Carpio’s official social media pages indicating she promised to step down if the former president is freed from ICC detention in The Hague, Netherlands.
One News’ official website and social media pages also did not publish such a report.
The bogus graphic contains a slightly misspelled logo, social media handle and the website of One News. Instead of “One News,” the fake news card added an extra letter, appearing as “Onee News.”
The fake news card’s layout is also different from the current social media cards of the media group.
The photo of a tearful Duterte-Carpio was taken in 2021, when she withdrew her bid for mayor in the 2022 elections.
The fake graphic circulated two days after two impeachment complaints were filed against the vice president – one by the Makabayan bloc and the other by the Tindig Pilipinas coalition, backed by Akbayan Partylist Rep. Perci Cendaña and ML Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima.
On Feb. 9, members of the clergy filed a third impeachment complaint against Duterte-Carpio at the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, former president Duterte remains in the ICC detention facility in Scheveningen, with his confirmation of charges hearing scheduled from Feb. 23 to 27. This is in relation to the alleged crimes against humanity during his administration’s drug war.
VERA Files has debunked several disinformation related to the vice president’s impeachment and the elder Duterte’s ICC case.
At least four posts by FB users carrying the fake graphic collectively garnered 11,021 reactions, 3,922 comments and 244 shares.
