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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Duterte-Marcos private meeting report is 'fake news,' defense says

Duterte-Marcos private meeting report is 'fake news,' defense says

VP Sara's defense team says she personally confirmed that no private meeting was requested or planned

Published Aug 24, 2026 06:45 pm

At A Glance

  • Duterte's defense team said the Vice President confirmed that no private meeting with President Marcos had been requested, arranged, or planned.
  • Defense spokesperson Michael Poa said Duterte agreed that the report should be directly described as "fake news."
  • Poa urged Filipinos to verify information and check the legitimacy of sources amid the spread of fake news on social media.
Vice President Sara Duterte’s (right) defense team dismissed as “fake news” reports claiming that she requested or planned a private meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (left), saying Duterte herself confirmed that no such meeting was sought or planned. (Manila Bulletin/file)
Vice President Sara Duterte’s (right) defense team dismissed as “fake news” reports claiming that she requested or planned a private meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (left), saying Duterte herself confirmed that no such meeting was sought or planned. (Manila Bulletin/file)
The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, Aug. 24, dismissed as “fake news” reports claiming that she had requested or planned a private meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., saying Duterte herself confirmed that no such request, meeting, or plan existed.
In a press briefing, defense spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa said he initially did not believe the report and was hesitant to seek confirmation from the Vice President when he first learned about it.
However, after speaking with Duterte about the matter, Poa said she agreed the report should be dismissed outright as fake news.
Duterte personally confirms report is ‘fake news’
“I had a chance to talk with the Vice President,” Poa said, explaining that he raised the possibility that questions about the alleged meeting could be asked.
He said Duterte agreed with his suggestion to state directly that the report was fake news.
Asked whether there had been any attempt to arrange a private meeting between Duterte and Marcos, the lawyer said none had been discussed with him.
“None that I know of. Never naming napag-usapan. Wala siyang nabanggit sa akin (We never talked about it. She didn’t mention anything to me),” he said.
No private meeting discussed or planned
Poa said that when the report surfaced, he sought Duterte’s permission to publicly describe it as fake news, and she agreed.
He added that the Vice President confirmed that no such meeting had taken place and that there was no plan for one.
“Walang ganung pangyayari o walang ganung plano (Nothing like that happened or there was no plan like that),” he said.
Public urged to verify social media information
The defense team declined to speculate on the possible motive behind the report but urged the public to exercise greater vigilance when consuming information on social media.
“Dapat mas maging mapagmatiyag tayo sa nakikita natin sa socmed (We should be more vigilant about what we see on social media),” Poa said. “Try to find out kung legitimate yung sources kasi ang dami na talagang fake news na kumakalat (Try to check if the sources are legitimate because there’s really a lot of fake news spreading),” he added.
Poa’s remarks came amid the continuing impeachment proceedings against Duterte, as her legal team prepares to present its side before the impeachment court.
The defense has maintained that the public has so far primarily heard the prosecution’s case and urged observers to wait for its turn to present evidence.
“We will have to wait when we present our evidence in chief,” Poa said. 

Related Tags

Sara Duterte Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Duterte Marcos meeting Michael Poa Sara Duterte impeachment
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