FACT CHECK: Sara Duterte did not replace Marcos as president

Claim: Vice President Sara Duterte is now the new president of the Philippines.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The TikTok video containing the claim has 141,700 views, 24,300 likes, 3,326 comments, and 3,173 shares as of writing.

The video shows people cheering and embracing Duterte as she walks through the crowd.

Text in the video states: “Bangon, Pilipinas (Rise, Philippines). Welcome President Sara Duterte.”

In the comment section, many Filipinos appear to believe the claim, with some thanking God and others expressing hope that the alleged news is true.

The facts: President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. remains the duly elected president of the Philippines. The video offers no evidence for its claim that Duterte has succeeded him to occupy the highest seat in government.

Article VII, Section 8 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution outlines the rules of presidential succession, stating, “In case of death, permanent disability, removal from office, or resignation of the President, the Vice-President shall become the President to serve the unexpired term.”

As none of these circumstances have been met, no transfer of power has taken place that would allow the vice president to assume the presidency. Marcos continues to fulfill his duties as the sitting president.

Moreover, the video being shared in the viral post is actually from Duterte’s visit to Kuwait on August 16, 2025, where she met with overseas Filipino workers. This footage has been taken out of context and misused to falsely suggest she has assumed the presidency.

Resignation calls: The false claim likely stemmed from recent political tensions, with calls for Marcos to resign following allegations made by former congressman Zaldy Co.

In a three-part video series released from November 14 to 16, Co accused Marcos and former House speaker Martin Romualdez of orchestrating P100 billion worth of budget insertions in the 2025 national budget. He further alleged that the President received P25 billion in kickbacks, even presenting photos of luggage he claimed contained cash deliveries to their residences. Malacañang has denied these allegations, calling Co’s claims “hearsay.” 

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro also dismissed the circulating calls for Marcos to step down, pointing out that many of these demands are politically motivated and came from Duterte’s supporters. In her November 18 media briefing, Castro said “resignation is not an option” for Marcos.

Speaking to reporters on November 28, Duterte said she was ready to assume the presidency if Marcos resigns. Malacañang slammed the Vice President’s remark, saying it was a “form of political destabilization.” – Marjuice Destinado/Rappler.com

Marjuice Destinado is a senior political science student at Cebu Normal University (CNU) and an alumna of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2025.