A YouTube video claims that France has entered into an alliance with Vice President Sara Duterte amid souring relations between her and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. This is misleading.
French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel made the customary courtesy call on the Office of the Vice President (OVP) last Sept. 13. The visit did not involve the forging of any pact or alliance between Duterte and the French government.
Uploaded on Sept. 20, a week after Fontanel’s visit to Duterte, the video bore the headline:
“BREAKING NEWS! Nganga ang Palasy0 at K0ngres0? VpSara Duterte at French Ambassador Pumirma na (The Palace and Congress were not aware of this? VP Sara Duterte and the French ambassador already signed)?!!”
Its thumbnail also bore a text that read: “FRENCE (sic) REPUBLIC SUMANIB NASA VICE PRESIDENT! GOODNEWS REGALO NG FRANCE PIRMADO NA (French Republic has joined forces with the Vice President! Good news, France’s gift has been signed)!”
According to an X post by the French Embassy, Duterte and French Ambassador Marie Fontanel “discussed the importance of the bilateral relations between our two countries” during the Sept. 13 visit.
The two leaders also talked about the success of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and the third United Nations Ocean Conference that will take place in Nice next year.
Clearly a clickbait, the rest of the video merely showed a previously fact-checked vlogger criticizing a House of Representatives committee for its swift approval of the Office of the President’s 2025 budget.
VERA Files Fact Check has also debunked a similar claim that Cambodia’s deputy prime minister had entered into an alliance with Duterte, amid questions on alleged anomalies in her office’s use of confidential funds.
Uploaded by previously fact-checked YouTube channel PINAS NEWS INSIDER and XCREW, the video has received over 181,699 interactions. Facebook users also reposted the link.
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