Vice President Sara Duterte said it would be up to the Davao City Council to decide whether comedian-host Vice Ganda should be declared persona non grata following his controversial “jet ski holiday” joke.
In an interview, Duterte admitted she had not seen the clip but stressed that the decision rests with the city’s legislative body.
“Kung unsa man ang desisyon sa city council of Davao, it has to be a majority decision. And the city council of Davao is the correct body to declare a person persona non grata dire sa atoang siyudad because they are the representative of the three districts of Davao City,” she said.
Calls to bar Vice from Davao erupted after he referenced former president Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016 jet ski remark on the West Philippine Sea and joked about the former leader’s supposed detention in The Hague.
In a separate statement, Davao City Acting Vice Mayor Rodrigo “Rigo” Duterte II, son of Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, said no such resolution had been passed and emphasized that the council is focused on more pressing matters.
“Davao City will not be distracted by cheap insults and distasteful jokes made for clout,” he said.
The acting vice mayor also criticized the comedian’s use of his platform for ridicule.
“Public figures like Vice Ganda, who use their platform to mock rather than uplift, reveal more about their own character than about the people they ridicule,” Duterte said.
“If Vice Ganda wishes to be remembered for more than empty laughs and headline-grabbing jabs, perhaps it’s time to show the same hard work, discipline and respect that Davao’s leaders and citizens demonstrate daily.”