FACT CHECK: No INC statement backing VP Sara Duterte’s outburst vs Marcos
Claim: Religious group Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) expressed support for Vice President Sara Duterte following her recent outburst against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The claim was made in a YouTube video by the channel “Robin Sweet Showbiz” last November 24. As of writing, the video has 97,000 views, 4,300 likes, and 681 comments.
In the video, a narrator says: “Matapos magsalita ni Vice President Sara laban kina BBM, Liza, at Martin Romualdez sa kahayupang ginagawa nila sa Pilipinas, lalong-lalo na sa mga Duterte, dito siya nakahanap na ng kakampi, tila nagpakita na ng suporta, ang Iglesia ni Cristo.”
(After Vice President Sara spoke out against BBM, Liza, and Martin Romualdez for the atrocities they are committing in the Philippines, especially against the Dutertes, she has found an ally. The Iglesia ni Cristo seems to have expressed support for her.)
The video also flashes a photo of INC Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo. Text on its thumbnail reads: “Iglesia ni Cristo kay VP Sara ang suporta!” (Iglesia ni Cristo supports VP Sara!)
The video was uploaded following Duterte’s November 23 press briefing, during which she lashed out at Marcos, the First Lady, and Romualdez about their alleged corrupt activities.
The facts: The INC has not made any public announcements expressing support for Duterte following her tirades against Marcos. The religious group endorsed the Marcos-Duterte tandem during the 2022 elections, but it has not said that it now supports only the Vice President, contrary to what the misleading video implies.
INC announces its political endorsements through its broadcast channel Net 25, as it did when it announced its support for the Marcos-Duterte tandem in 2022. As of writing, no posts and statements related to the claim can be found on the channel.
Courtesy call: Marcos and Duterte separately paid courtesy calls on Manalo last October. The President visited Manalo on October 29 ahead of the latter’s birthday, while Duterte paid a visit on October 2 to express appreciation for the religious group’s humanitarian efforts during calamities.
Duterte’s October visit marks her lone public interaction with the INC leadership prior to her November 23 press briefing.
The misleading video was posted amid the controversies hounding the Vice President, such as ongoing questions on her alleged misuse of funds and her threats against Marcos. On December 2, a coalition of organizations filed an impeachment complaint against Duterte for betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other high crimes. – Cris Fernan Bayaga/Rappler.com
Cris Fernan Bayaga is a campus journalist from the University of the Philippines Cebu’s Lanog, the official student publication of the College of Communication, Art, and Design. He is also an Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow of Rappler for 2024.
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