Categories
Editor's Pick FACT CHECK News

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: In his own words: Duterte’s anti-corruption drive

(UPDATED) President Rodrigo Duterte early in his term confidently vowed he would not tolerate “even a whiff of corruption” in government.

He has since seesawed on the promise, in one speech admitting he “cannot erase” all corruption, but in another reverting to his uncompromising stance.

In a speech Aug. 14, Duterte said he is thinking of resigning because he is “tired” and his “chase against graft and corruption seems to be endless.”

“I do not think that I can fulfill my promise to the people,” he added.

Three days later, he warned corrupt police officers to shape up, saying he will “rise and fall on the issue of corruption.”

How has Duterte’s anti-corruption narrative shifted during his two years in office? Watch this video.

UPDATE: An earlier version of this video incorrectly stated the year of one of President Duterte’s speeches. It was Aug. 14, 2018, not Aug. 14, 2017.

(Guided by the code of principles of
the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, VERA Files tracks the false
claims, flip-flops, misleading statements of public officials and figures, and
debunks them with factual evidence.
Find out more
about this initiative
and our methodology.)