FACT CHECK: Ex-president Duterte not appointed House speaker

Claim: Former president Rodrigo Duterte was appointed House Speaker by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was made in the thumbnail of a YouTube video posted on January 5, which has 75,948 views, 2,600 likes, and 626 comments as of writing.

The video’s thumbnail shows photos of Marcos, Duterte, and Romualdez, with the text, “Bagong Speaker ng Kongreso” (New Congress Speaker). The image is edited to include a document with the word “Approved” and an arrow pointing towards Romualdez, implying that there was a supposed order for Romualdez’s replacement.

The bottom line: It’s impossible for Duterte to be appointed House speaker because he is not an elected member of Congress. Romualdez remains House Speaker of the 19th Congress, as seen on the official website of the House of Representatives. 

No authority: There are also no announcements from Radio Television Malacañang and the Offices of the President and Vice President about a supposed order for Duterte’s appointment. Additionally, neither the president nor the vice president of the Philippines has the authority to appoint the House speaker. 

Article VI, Section 16 of the 1987 Constitution states: “The Senate shall elect its President and the House of Representatives its Speaker, by a majority vote of all its respective Members.” Duterte, being a non-member of Congress, is ineligible for such a vote. 

Mere suggestion: No evidence was shown to support the video’s claim. Instead, the narrator merely suggested that Duterte could run in the upcoming 2025 midterm elections.

The misleading video was posted following remarks from Senator Ronald dela Rosa saying Duterte may run for senator in 2025 if the International Criminal Court (ICC) pushes through with its investigation on the Duterte-era drug war killings. Duterte and Dela Rosa are both subjects of the ICC probe. – Andrei Santos/Rappler.com

Andrei Santos is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

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