FACT CHECK: No Marcos-Duterte order for Noli de Castro to leave the PH

Claim: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte ordered veteran Filipino broadcaster Noli “Kabayan” de Castro to leave the Philippines.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this:  The YouTube video bearing the claim was posted by PINAS NEWS INSIDER on October 21 and has gained 73,952 views, 2,400 likes, and 591 comments as of writing.

The video’s title reads: “KAKAPASOK LANG Mga Media Natameme! Kabayan Noli nasampulan sa Matinding utos ni Vp Sara Pres Marcos!”

(Just in: Media is dumbfounded! Kabayan Noli received a strict order from VP Sara and President Marcos!)

No statement: There have been no official statements released via the social media accounts of both Marcos and Duterte, Radio Television Malacañang, or the Offices of the President and Vice President regarding a supposed order for De Castro to leave the Philippines. The video merely shows online users’ reactions calling on the broadcaster to leave the country for allegedly disrespecting the Vice President in relation to the traffic disruption in Quezon City earlier this month.

Traffic disruption: On October 5, a video circulated on social media showing the police stopping traffic along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, with an officer claiming that the Vice President’s passage was the reason for the road closure. Duterte denied her involvement in the incident, which caused a traffic jam and angered motorists online.

In the October 6 episode of his show Kabayan, De Castro interviewed Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Director PBGen Redrico Maranan who echoed Duterte’s denial of her involvement in the road closure. De Castro did not make any direct comments against Duterte, but later posed a question to viewers asking if they believed the explanation. 

Not involved: In a statement, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said Duterte had been in Mindanao since October 4 to participate in the World Teacher’s Day activities. Duterte led Teacher’s Day celebrations in Butuan City on the day of the incident.

The OVP added: “The Vice President did not ask QCPD and will never ask government agencies, including law enforcement bodies, to carry out actions that would inconvenience the public or cause them harm.”

The QCPD also issued a statement apologizing to the public for the inconvenience. The QCPD said the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding and a lapse in judgment of the officer at the time. The cop was sacked following the incident, but was later reinstated. 

Similar claims against other public figures had been fact-checked by Rappler:

1. FACT CHECK: No Marcos-Duterte order for Vice Ganda to leave the country
2. FACT CHECK: No Marcos order expelling Padilla from Senate
3. FACT CHECK: No Marcos order for Ted Failon to leave the country

 – 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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