FACT CHECK: Dutertes are linked to Jose Rizal through marriage, not by blood

Claim: The Dutertes are related to national hero Jose Rizal.

Rating: MISSING CONTEXT

Why we fact-checked this: A TikTok account with over 19,500 followers made the claim on November 26. As of writing, it has already gained 604,700 views, 32,000 likes, 1,643 comments, and 4,436 shares. 

The TikTok post is captioned: “Sara Duterte at Rodrigo Duterte e kamag-anak pala si Dr. Jose Rizal. Nasa genealogy o kadugo niyo si Jose Rizal.” 

(Sara Duterte and Rodrigo Duterte are relatives of Dr. Jose Rizal. This is according to genealogy – [they are] blood relatives of Jose Rizal.)

Comments on the post likened the values of the Duterte clan to those of the nation’s hero.

The post features a video originally created by influencer and self-professed “history geek” Mona Magno-Veluz, known for creating videos on genealogy and history as “Mighty Magulang” on TikTok. In the video, she explained the connection between the Duterte family and the Rizal clan through marriage.

The misleading post was made in response to a comment on another TikTok post featuring Vice President Sara Duterte expressing gratitude to her supporters amid her heated dispute with former ally, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The facts: The misleading TikTok post misrepresented Veluz’s original video. The post did not mention the context regarding the relationship between the Rizal and Duterte families in its caption, mistakenly promoting the idea that Duterte and Rizal share the same bloodline. However, the connection between the two families is through marriage, not by blood. 

In the original video, Veluz explained that Sara Duterte’s distant relative Escolastico Duterte Jr. married Concepcion Rizal Herbosa, a niece of Jose Rizal. This indicates that while there are familial connections through marriage, there is no direct blood relationship between the Dutertes and Rizal. The connection is described explicitly as one of affinity, meaning it arises from marriage ties rather than shared ancestry.

This connection is noted in the “Rizal Family Tree” displayed at the Jose Rizal Museum at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF). Escolastico is the nephew of the founder of USPF. 

Veluz later released another video to clarify that the shared ancestry between the Rizals and Dutertes should not be interpreted as a basis for “shared values” or used to draw parallels between the two families.

Blood relatives vs relation by marriage: Blood relatives are individuals connected through biological descent, sharing a common ancestor. This includes parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins across generations.

In contrast, spouses and in-laws are not considered blood relatives, as their connection is formed through marriage rather than shared ancestry.

Political clans: Veluz highlighted in her second video that many prominent political families in the Philippines are interconnected, either by blood or through marriage. She cited the Dutertes and Marcoses as an example, noting that their clans are linked through marital ties. (READ: Meet the ‘obese’ political dynasties of the Philippines)

She also emphasized that genealogy should not be “weaponized.” – Jerry Yubal Jr./Rappler.com 

Jerry Yubal Jr. is a graduate of Aries Rufo Journalism fellow of Rappler for 2023-2024. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

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