Vice President Sara Duterte described the impeachment case filed against her as “made-up” by the House of Representatives, while thanking supporters who continue to stand by her amid the political controversy.

In an interview in The Hague, Netherlands, on May 5, Duterte said she remains grateful to supporters who backed her in previous elections.

“Nagpapasalamat ako dahil noong ako ay nag-announce na tatakbo akong Pangulo, marami lahat ng mga supporters galing 2016, 2019, 2022, nandyan pa rin sila lahat na solid na naniniwala at nagtitiwala… so yun ‘yung unang pagpapasalamat ko (I am grateful because when I announced that I would run for President, many supporters from 2016, 2019, and 2022 were still there—solid in their belief and trust, so that is my first expression of gratitude),” she said.

The Vice President also acknowledged supporters who have publicly opposed the impeachment proceedings through rallies and demonstrations.

“Yung pangalawang pagpapasalamat ko ay ‘yung kanilang suporta sa akin ngayon na humaharap sa impeachment na gawa-gawa ng House of Representatives (My second expression of gratitude is for their support for me now, as I face the impeachment fabricated by the House of Representatives),” she said.

Duterte added that she recently discussed the issue with her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, saying they reflected on faith and destiny amid the ongoing controversy.

“Pero base din sa discussion namin kanina ni Pangulong Duterte, lahat ng mga nangyayari sa buhay ng isang tao ay sinulat yan ng Diyos so kung ma-impeach ako, yan ay sinulat na ng Diyos [o] hindi man ako ma-impeach (But based on my discussion earlier with President Duterte, everything that happens in a person’s life is written by God so if I am impeached, that is written by God [or] even if I am not impeached),” Duterte said.

The Vice President is visiting her father, who is currently in detention and facing charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Meanwhile, Duterte also spoke about the political climate leading up to the 2028 presidential elections, saying politics in the Philippines can be “dirty.”

“Unang-una kasi sa politika, ganyan talaga yan… madumi talaga ang politika (First of all, in politics, that’s really how it is… politics is truly dirty),” Duterte said, noting that political operators often attempt to damage rivals’ reputations to improve their own public image.

Duterte said she believes political attacks are intensifying as some sectors already consider her a “presumptive candidate” for the 2028 presidential race.

“You paint your enemy black so that you appear white,” she said, recalling remarks previously made by her father in Davao City.

Duterte also urged Filipinos to be more discerning about online information, warning that social media content can be manipulated.

“Kailangan matutong mag-discern ang mga Pilipino sa mga nakikita nila sa social media, particularly because pwedeng mamanipulate ang information na lumalabas sa social media (Filipinos need to learn how to discern what they see on social media, particularly because the information that comes out on social media can be manipulated),” she said.

She claimed that “troll farms” and businesses that distribute information — whether true or false — exist to influence public opinion and shape narratives online.

“Yung mga troll farms na meron talagang negosyo na gano'n at meron din talagang negosyo na nagpapalabas ng mga information, whether true or not, pero yun ‘yung business ng kumpanya ang magpalabas ng mga information (About troll farms, they are real—there truly are businesses like that, and there are also companies whose business is to release information, whether true or not, because that is their line of work: to disseminate information),” Duterte said.

According to Duterte, some groups create the impression that certain opinions are either popular or unpopular to sway public sentiment.

“Ganun nga ‘yung objective nyan, parang magpapalabas sila na (That is their objective: to release information that, say for example, makes it appear as though) this is a popular sentiment, or this is an unpopular sentiment.”

Duterte reminded the public to critically evaluate content seen on social media platforms amid the spread of misinformation.

“Unfortunately, sa social media, kahit libre siya para sa lahat, meron din mga nagnenegosyo dyan na minamanipulate ‘yung information na lumalabas (On social media—even if it is free for everyone—there are also businesses that manipulate the information that comes out),” Duterte said.