Archive - FACT CHECK

FIRST, it was the enormity of the drug menace that prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to ask for “a little extension.” Now, he seems to be waffling on yet another promise: stamp out scalawags in public office. On multiple occasions, Duterte committed to end corruption in government. His latest statement was said before the Filipino community

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has said numerous times that he would like to pursue an independent foreign policy. But he has clarified on Sept. 13 that this does not mean cutting alliances with the United States. Two weeks later, on Sept. 26, he said in front of the media that he was “about to cross the

POVERTY worsened during President Benigno Aquino’s term, said Joey Salgado, spokesperson of former Vice President Jejomar Binay. STATEMENT:  Reacting to Vice President Leni Robredo’s statement at an antipoverty summit that “poverty is a larger war that needs our attention,” Salgado said on Oct. 11: “With all due respect to Vice President Leni Robredo, her party,

CAREFUL not to include wrong names on his narco-lists again, President Rodrigo Duterte said he is having them revalidated by key agencies, citing the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) as one of them. STATEMENT: During the 115th anniversary of the Philippine Coast Guard on Oct. 12, Duterte said: “Until now, I’m trying to

THE president is confused. On October 4, President Rodrigo Duterte apologized for the infamous Hitler remark when he met members of the Jewish Association of the Philippines in a visit to Beit Yaacov Synagogue in Makati. STATEMENT: “But one day, when I was coming home from Laos, I was a bit tired, we were on

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte questioned the validity of EDCA or the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the Philippines and the United States in his speech at the Masskara Festival in Bacolod City on Sunday. The agreement, forged to advance the implementation of the Philippine-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951, was signed by former National Defense Secretary

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he would never be “foolish” enough to commit errors on his narco-lists. The next day, he apologized to public officials he wrongly linked to illegal drugs — the mistake done either through “negligence” or in bad faith. STATEMENT: On Sept. 26, the president said care should be exercised when

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is no fan of the United Nations, calling its leader a fool and its experts stupid. During his speech before the Malacañang Press Corps on Sept. 26, Duterte once again slammed the UN for interfering in his drug war. He said the international agency had investigated him on the alleged extrajudicial killings in

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte in August said the government does not provide lawyers to police who need legal assistance. He was referring to police officers who run into trouble with the law while conducting legitimate operation. STATEMENT: “Now remember, in this country, no lawyer is provided for the policeman and the other men…the security officers when

A NATIONWIDE survey released recently by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) has found that President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement that methamphetamine or “shabu” use being confined to the poor has no statistical basis. STATEMENT: Amid criticisms that only the poor are targeted by the government’s anti-drug war, Duterte told reporters on Aug. 24 during a press conference

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte never issued a “shoot-to-kill” order against drug suspects, according to the Philippines’ permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) on Sept 14. In a statement issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Cecilia Rebong, during the 33rd Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, said what the president meant was the police have

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Sept. 10 told the media to go ahead and criticize him and his government’s shortcomings, saying it is their sworn duty. Not so long ago, he dared reporters to kill and stop journalism in this country. STATEMENT: Straight from the recently concluded Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Vientiane,