DAVAO CITY – Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, Aug. 11, said the decision to declare television host and comedian Jose Marie Viceral, known as Vice Ganda, persona non grata here for allegedly mocking former President Duterte rests solely with the city council.

“I haven’t seen or read the jokes being referred to, but whatever the decision of the city council, it has to be a majority decision,” Vice President Duterte said in an interview with the media after touring the Kadayawan Tribal Village at Magsaysay Park.

She said that the city council is the appropriate body to make such declarations as they are official representatives of Davao City.

Acting Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte II dismissed a circulating persona non grata document involving Vice Ganda, calling it a baseless distraction from the city council’s more pressing work.

“The Davao City Council has far more important matters to attend to than entertaining baseless, attention-seeking antics from performers desperate for relevance,” Vice Mayor Duterte said.

He stressed that they remain focused on crafting policies and programs to improve the lives of Davaoeños—enhancing infrastructure, ensuring public safety, creating livelihood opportunities, and strengthening social services.

“Davao City will not be distracted by cheap insults and distasteful jokes made for clout,” he said, criticizing Vice Ganda’s remarks, which some netizens perceived as an affront to Davao and its residents.

“Public figures like Vice Ganda, who use their platform to mock rather than uplift, reveal more about their character than the people they ridicule,” the acting vice mayor added.

Vice Mayor Duterte said the dignity and pride of Davaoeños are not for sale and certainly not for comedy fodder.

“If Vice Ganda wishes to be remembered for more than empty laughs and headline-grabbing jabs, perhaps it’s time to show the same hard work, discipline, and respect that Davao’s leaders and citizens demonstrate daily,” he said.

The viral document has fueled online debates over the boundaries of comedy and public discourse, with supporters and critics weighing if celebrities should be held accountable for statements perceived as offensive.

Davao City Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, head of the Committee on Finance, Ways and Means, and Appropriations, appealed to the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) and other concerned government agencies to investigate Vice Ganda.

“Freedom of expression is a right, but it must never cross into disrespect and mockery of leaders who have served our nation,” Dayanghirang said.

He stressed that Filipinos are raised to respect elders, value a person’s dignity, and recognize public service—virtues that must be preserved and taught to the youth, especially in the age of social media and entertainment.

Dayanghirang encouraged young Filipinos to think critically about the media they consume and uphold the culture of respect and gratitude.

Meanwhile, Vice President Duterte reacted to criticisms from ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, who described her frequent travels as “paglamyerda” or gallivanting.

She challenged Tinio and other critics to scrutinize the travel records of members of the House of Representatives before singling out her activities.

“Who is the person again? They should probably also reveal the travels of the members of the House before they point fingers at people for constant travel,” Vice President Duterte said.

She said her foreign trips were not for leisure but for official and personal purposes that she deemed important.

“Honestly, I did not travel because I wanted to travel. I traveled, I went abroad because Filipino communities overseas are frustrated with what is happening in our country,” Vice President Duterte said.

She also said she is visiting her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained at The Hague, Netherlands.