FACT CHECK: Marcos Jr. did not say protecting VP Duterte from her case is ‘corruption’

A viral Facebook graphic attributes a statement to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. about Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal troubles, but the official transcript of Marcos’ media briefing in India does not contain the remarks attributed to him Claim: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he could not be blamed for Sara Duterte’s legal troubles, that he could not protect her from her case, and that if a president did so, “corruption” would be the result. Rating: FALSE Why we fact-checked this: A viral Facebook graphic posted by Senior Rak Joe, a Facebook page with around 15,000 followers, attributes a statement to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. It claims that Marcos made the statement on September 13, 2026, amid his remarks about Vice President Sara Duterte. It had garnered around 102,000 views as of October 5, 2026. The graphic says, “Yung pinanggalingan ng kaso niya galing mismo sa bibig niya, kilos at galaw niya, di niya ako pwedeng sisihin kung ano man ang mga nararanasan niyang pagsubok… Ano gusto niya gawin ko, protektahan ko siya sa kaso? Di naman pwede ’yun. Kung gagawin ng isang Presidente ’yan, corruption pa rin ang kalalabasan niyan…” (The case against her stemmed from her own words, actions, and conduct. She cannot blame me for whatever challenges she is going through. What does she want me to do, protect her from the case? That’s not possible. If a president were to do that, it would still amount to corruption.) On September 13, the President was in New Delhi, India, for the Philippines’ participation in the 18th BRICS Summit. He also held a Kapihan with the Media at the Taj Mahal Hotel. The facts: On September 13, during a Kapihan with the Media, Marcos was asked about his thoughts on the issues surrounding the Vice President. In that press conference, the President did not say the quoted statement in the Facebook post. The official transcript of his Kapihan remarks contains no statement saying that Duterte’s case came “from her own mouth,” that he could not be blamed for her situation, that he was being asked to protect her from the case, or that doing so would constitute “corruption.” What Marcos Jr. actually said was, “You know, I hear about them, but I don’t really even have a response. If she feels very angry, I suppose, with what’s happening to her.” “And I am the target of that anger, or the main target of that anger. What can I do? You cannot force anyone to love you,” he added. The phrase “wala siya sa tamang pag-iisip” (she’s not in her right mind) also does not appear in his Kapihan remarks. A similar remark, however, was made by Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro during a September 11 press briefing in New Delhi. While responding to Duterte’s statements, Castro asked, “Nasa tama ba siyang huwisyo? Nasa tama ba siyang pag-iisip?” (Is she in her right mind? Is she thinking clearly?) Castro was referring to Duterte’s state of mind after the Vice President made statements against Marcos Jr. She also referred to “sleepless nights and anxiety” as possible factors affecting Duterte’s statements. – Ahyenne Neleah Estacio/Rappler.com Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time. Ahyenne Neleah Estacio is a graduating Bachelor of Arts in Communication student and campus journalist at Holy Angel University. The current senior editor and former editor-in-chief of The Angelite, she is an Aries Rufo Fellow for 2026. How does this make you feel? Loading