Vice President Sara Duterte criticized segments of the Philippine mainstream media, accusing some news organizations of portraying her and former President Rodrigo Duterte negatively while prioritizing profit over quality journalism.

In an interview in The Hague on July 30, released by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Friday, July 31, Duterte compared Philippine media with international news organizations, saying there is a significant difference in how stories are reported.

“Kung hanggang diyan lang ang kakayahan ng journalism sa Pilipinas, then hindi talaga uunlad ang ating bayan (If that is the extent of journalism's capability in the Philippines, then our country will not progress),” Duterte said.

Duterte praised international media for what she described as a broader and more in-depth approach to news gathering and reporting.

“Kung makita mo ang international media, kung paano sila mag-present ng balita, kung paano sila naghahanap ng mga bagay o mga aktibidad o mga pangyayari na ibabalita, napakalayo ng kalidad ng journalism sa ibang bansa ikumpara sa atin sa Pilipinas (When you look at international media—how they present the news, how they search for stories, activities, or events to report—the quality of journalism abroad is far superior compared to what we see here in the Philippines),” she said.

She also lamented that some local media outlets focus on stories that portray her and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, in a negative light.

The Vice President further argued that financial interests have influenced journalism in the country.

“Sa atin sa Pilipinas, nakita n'yo kung paano mag-present, maglahad ng mga balita ang ating mga media outfits (Here in the Philippines, you can see how our media outfits present and deliver the news),” she said.

“Unfortunately, kung gagawin talaga natin araw-araw na Diyos ang pera, wala talagang pagbabago na mangyayari sa ating bansa. Sa journalism man, sa mainstream media man o sa iba’t ibang aspeto ng ating bayan (Unfortunately, if we continue to worship money every single day, no real change will ever happen in our country—whether in journalism, mainstream media, or in other aspects of our nation),” she added.

Duterte said the rise of social media has given the public an alternative platform where people can directly hear statements and witness events without relying solely on traditional media.

“Buti na lang meron na tayong social media ngayon kung saan nakikita natin kung ano talaga yung katotohanan ng nakikita ng tao, na lumabas sa bibig ng tao (It’s a good thing we now have social media, where we can truly see the reality—what people witness and hear directly from their own voices),” she said.

She added that social media enables people to see what she described as the truth from those directly involved in events.

The Vice President also urged Filipinos to uphold values such as bayanihan, discipline, resilience, and patriotism instead of allowing greed and money to dictate public life.

“Nakakalungkot na marami sa ating mga Pilipino ang ginawang Diyos ang pera (It is disheartening that many Filipinos have turned money into their god),” Duterte said.

“Dapat ang gawin nating guide sa ating pang-araw-araw ay yung pagiging Pilipino natin—bayanihan, disiplina, resilience, at iba’t iba pang magagandang asal ng Pilipino (What should truly guide us in our daily lives is our identity as Filipinos—our spirit of bayanihan, discipline, resilience, and the many other admirable values that define us),” she added. 

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