Amid the ongoing controversy over the use of confidential funds, another quote card attributed to Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio saying she used P20 million a day as Davao City Mayor, continues to circulate online. This is fabricated.
Netizens and Facebook (FB) groups and pages shared the graphic supposedly published by Sonshine Media Network (SMNI) News. In the card dated Sept. 8 and published a few days later, Duterte-Carpio was quoted as saying:
“I don’t know why there is a big issue on the 125 million pesos of confidential fund, which my office disbursed in 19 days. In Davao City, where I held office as the Chief Executive for 9 years, I spend 20 million a day and nobody dared to question me. Not the then President and not even the COA. Now that I am the Vice-President, you tell me that I can not spend my confidential fund in a timeframe which I think is feasible. What am I for as a Vice President, if you restrain me?”
This is fake. Duterte-Carpio, the concurrent Education Secretary, has made no such remark.
SMNI has “strongly disowned” the graphic and labeled it “fake news.” In a Sept. 16 FB post, SMNI Public Affairs further said they will take legal action against the unauthorized use of their logo and social media materials.
The graphic altered a quote card of Duterte-Carpio on a different topic published by SMNI News on July 30, 2022. The vice president’s statement was changed to deceive netizens.
VERA Files Fact Check just the other day flagged a similar fake quote attributed to Duterte-Carpio. (Read: Sara Duterte quote card on confidential funds spending fake)
The concocted quote cards circulated after lawmakers revealed that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) spent P125 million in confidential funds in 19 days in 2022.
Alliance of Concerned Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro also urged the Commission on Audit to look into the P2.697 confidential expenses of Davao City from 2016 to 2022 when Duterte-Carpio served as its chief executive.
FB netizens, pages and groups shared the graphic at least 90 times on the platform. It was circulated by FB pages such as Naloko Na (created on April 15, 2022 as Huwag Paloko) and FB groups like Concerned Citizens: Crusade Against Corruption For Good Governance CAC4GG (July 18, 2023 as The Concern Citizens: Crusade Against Corruption For Good Governance CAC4GG) and Leni2025 (May 11, 2023). Some of the posts garnered at least 1,612 interactions as of writing.
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(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
