‘VP Sara in Mindanao, not behind QC road closure’

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday said that the viral video tagging her as the cause of the closure of a portion of Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City is false and asked the Quezon City Police Department (QCPD) to shed light on the issue.

In a separate statement, the Office of the President (OVP) explained that Duterte was in Mindanao since Wednesday. 

“The Office of the Vice President informs the public that Vice President Sara Duterte was not involved in the traffic disruption caused by the closure of a portion of Commonwealth Avenue by the Quezon City Police Office. The Vice President is in Mindanao for the World Teacher’s Day and other activities,” said the OVP. 

In the viral video posted by former Bayan Muna solon Teddy Casiño, the road was allegedly closed off make way for the convoy of Duterte.

In the video, an unidentified person had asked a police officer what was causing traffic in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.

“May dadaan po tayong VIP (A VIP will be passing through),” the police officer said.

The man capturing the video can be heard asking who the VIP was, to which the officer responded, “Si VP (The VP).”

“I want to emphasize that neither I nor my office ever made any request for assistance from the QCPD to orchestrate such an action. The claims in the video are not only misleading but also outright false,” Duterte said in a letter addressed to the QCPD. 

“In light of this situation, I call upon the QCPD to investigate this incident and hold those responsible accountable for their actions. Furthermore, I urge the QCPD to rectify this falsehood and publicly state the real reason for the road ‘closure, including naming the supposed VIP who requested such action,” Duterte added.

Duterte also wanted a public apology from the police officer in the video who tagged her. 

“I request the subject police officer and the QCPD District Director to issue a public apology to all who have been inconvenienced by this deception. I appreciate your attention to this matter and await your full report on this incident,” Duterte told the QCPD. 

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