FACT CHECK: Marcos remains president; no transfer of power to Sara Duterte

Claim: Vice President Sara Duterte is now the president of the Philippines following the removal of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook post containing the claim has 3,100 likes, 2,400 comments, and 156 shares as of writing.

Text overlaid on the photo reads: “BBM bagsak na? Sara president now? Bigay na kay Sara.”

(Is this the downfall of BBM? Sara is now the president? Just hand it over to Sara.)

The post’s caption states: “Shocking! Pro-BBM rally hit by harsh criticism, netizens foot one name! Conflicting comments exploded, turning the event into a hot topic of debate. Amidst this wave of criticism, Sara was mentioned by many as “the one who remains strong.” Could all the attacks be backfiring, or is there a secret move yet to be revealed – what will happen next? The whole truth has been fully revealed! Read now!!”

It includes a link to a post purportedly containing more information about the alleged news.

The facts: Marcos remains the sitting president of the Philippines, and there has been no official announcement of his alleged removal from office or the transfer of power to Duterte.

Under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the vice president can assume the presidency only in specific situations. Article VII, Section 8 states: “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.”

None of these conditions applies to Marcos. He remains in office, fully performing presidential duties, and has neither resigned, been impeached, nor declared permanently incapacitated.

Claims that Marcos has already “fallen” from his position due to public criticism or negative reactions on social media are also misleading. Public backlash or declining popularity are not grounds to remove a sitting president from office. 

The Constitution makes clear that leadership succession is determined by law. It further provides that if both the president and vice president are unable to serve, only then may the Senate president or the Speaker of the House act as president until a qualified successor is elected.

Trust rating: Marcos and Duterte, elected on a joint ticket in 2022, are now political rivals amid separate corruption allegations.

A Pulse Asia survey released in December 2025 shows that a slim majority of Filipinos trust Duterte, while a plurality distrusts Marcos. Duterte recorded 56% approval and 54% trust ratings, despite facing a plunder complaint over her alleged misuse of confidential funds. Meanwhile, Marcos posted a 34% approval rating and a 32% trust rating, a slight improvement from his record-low 33% approval rating in September, following controversies that had hounded his administration, including the flood control scandal.

Pulse Asia data indicate that Duterte received majority trust ratings in the Visayas, Mindanao, and among lower-income respondents, while Marcos was least trusted in the same regions and sectors. In Metro Manila, trust in Duterte increased compared to the September ratings, while trust in Marcos declined. – 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.