FACT CHECK: Cayetano didn’t say VP Sara should face impeachment court; quote card is fake
Claim: Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said that Vice President Sara Duterte should personally face the Senate impeachment court, as seen in a quote card.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook post bearing the claim was made on September 3 on “LENI 2028,” a public Facebook group with 114,800 members. As of writing, the post has 402 reactions and 133 comments.
The quote card has a photo of Cayetano, a logo of supposed news outlet “PH Daily Inquiry,” and the senator’s alleged statement: “Kung ako ang tatanungin, ito ay sariling opinyon ko lamang. Sa palagay ko, dapat na si VP Sara ang mismong humarap dito sa atin sa Senado. Ginagawa tayong tanga ng mga empleyado niya eh.”
(If you ask me — and this is just my personal opinion — I think VP Sara herself should face us here in the Senate. Her employees are treating us like fools.)
The facts: There are no interviews, press statements, or news reports from reputable sources showing Cayetano making this statement.
Cayetano debunked the quote card in a post on September 6 on his Facebook page.
“Ang naturang quote ay gawa-gawa at hindi pahayag ni Sen. Kuya Alan. Maling ipinapakita nito na mayroon siyang personal na paninindigan laban sa Bise Presidente at sa kanyang depensa, na hindi dapat ituring na tunay na pahayag mula sa impeachment proceedings,” the post read.
(The said quote is fabricated and not a statement by Senator Alan. It falsely portrays him as having a personal stance against the Vice President and her defense, which should not be considered a genuine statement from the impeachment proceedings.)
The post reiterates that senator-judges throughout the impeachment trial should remain impartial and neutral. It also reminded the public to scrutinize information and verify statements before sharing them, particularly as AI-generated images and fabricated quotes are being used to mislead the public.
Duterte on the witness stand: At the start of the September 8 trial, the prosecution said it plans to call Duterte as a witness over her alleged misuse of confidential funds.
Prosecutor Lorna Kapunan said that in lieu of presenting 15 other witnesses, the prosecution “will be presenting the Vice President herself as regards use, misuse, misappropriation” of confidential funds, which is the subject of Article 1 of the impeachment articles.
The defense opposed the move, citing the constitutional right against self-incrimination.
Kapunan said the prosecution may seek a subpoena after presenting the remaining articles. The court will make a ruling once the prosecution files a formal motion, trial presiding officer Chiz Escudero said. (READ: Prosecution wants to call Sara Duterte to witness stand)
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in May 2026 on the grounds of alleged betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. (LIVE UPDATES: Impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte)
Debunked: Rappler has previously debunked several false claims regarding Duterte’s impeachment:
- FACT CHECK: No new impeachment complaint vs Marcos; post miuses February 2026 report
- FACT CHECK: Escudero didn’t say prosecution ‘fabricated’ allegation vs VP Sara
- FACT CHECK: No SC order junking current impeachment proceedings vs VP Sara
- FACT CHECK: No clash between De Lima, VP Sara at impeachment trial; video is AI-generated
- FACT CHECK: Lacson quote on 14-vote threshold for VP Sara impeachment is fake
– Owenh Toledo/Rappler.com
Owenh Toledo is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. 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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