VP Sara on Vice Ganda persona non grata: ‘It’s up to City Council’

VICE President Sara Duterte said it is up to the Davao City Council to decide whether to declare comedian Vice Ganda persona non grata, following the circulation of an unsigned resolution online.

“Kung unsa man ang decision sa City Council sa (Whatever the decision of the City Council of) Davao, it has to be a majority decision, and they are the correct body to declare a persona non grata here in our city,” she said in an interview Monday, August 11, at Magsaysay Park.

She added that the decision should rest with the Council as representatives of the city’s three districts.

 

Acting Vice Mayor Rodrigo “Rigo” Duterte II dismissed the circulating document and criticized Vice Ganda for using insults as entertainment.

“Davao City will not be distracted by cheap insults and distasteful jokes made for clout. Public figures like Vice Ganda, who use their platform to mock rather than uplift, reveal more about their character than about the people they ridicule,” he said in a statement on Monday, August 11, 2025.

Rigo said that the dignity of Dabawenyos is “not for sale” and should not be reduced to comedy fodder. He urged Vice Ganda to show the same hard work, discipline, and respect that Davao’s leaders and citizens demonstrate.

Earlier, an unsigned resolution allegedly from the Sangguniang Panlungsod surfaced online, declaring Vice Ganda persona non grata. The document claimed the comedian mocked former President Rodrigo Duterte (FPRRD) by making light of his “jetski” remark on the West Philippine Sea and referencing possible imprisonment in The Hague, Netherlands.

It further stated that “recognizing these acts as disrespectful, the people of Davao have expressed indignation and called for a boycott of Vice Ganda’s endorsements.”

 

 

On August 8, during the “Superdivas” concert with Regine Velasquez at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Vice Ganda cracked a joke using the viral parody of a British Airways commercial — this time referencing FPRRD, the West Philippine Sea, and the International Criminal Court.

“Nothing beats a jet ski holiday, right now from Manila to the West Philippine Sea via jet ski. Get unlimited water bombing from Chinese vessels and a free trip to The Hague by the ICC. Promo applies to DDS only. Pinklawans and BBMs are prohibited. Huwag niyo akong subukan, mga p***** i** niyo!” she said.

The video quickly went viral, drawing mixed reactions from netizens.