Vice President Sara Duterte joked about filing a ₱200 million libel case against GMA News after accusing the network of failing to verify details in a report tied to dismissed policeman Rodulfo Gracioso Jr.’s allegations that he delivered suitcases of cash to members of the Duterte family.
Duterte took particular issue with a photo Gracioso presented as supposedly showing the Duterte family home in Davao City. She said the location shown was not their house and questioned why the information was aired without first checking whether the property was actually theirs.
“Imagine, nagturo ng bahay namin, hindi man lang chineck kung totoong bahay namin ’yun,”
Duterte said during a press conference where she rejected Gracioso’s allegations.
She then floated the possibility of suing the network, while making clear she was speaking in jest.
“Pwede ko ba i-libel ang GMA News nito? Hindi man lang sila nag-check ba,” Duterte said,
drawing laughter from journalists in the room.
She followed it with another quip about the possible damages.
“I-libel ko itong GMA. Magkano, ₱200 million? Para pumera naman ako dito,” she said.
Duterte later pulled back from the joke, saying,
“Ay, hindi.. Ano kasi, pag ni-libel ko sila, baka magsara ’yung kumpanya n’yo.”
Her remarks came as she continued disputing Gracioso’s sworn claims that he delivered cash to her and other members of the Duterte family on instructions from former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco. Duterte has denied knowing Gracioso and denied receiving money from him.
She also rejected Gracioso’s claim that she had links to the Pusong Pinoy party-list and disputed his account of a visit to San Isidro, Northern Samar, saying she went there at the invitation of a supporter rather than Gracioso.
The National Bureau of Investigation is examining Gracioso’s allegations. Duterte’s camp has said it will submit an affidavit responding to his claims, while Velasco’s camp has likewise denied the allegations against him.
