Sara Duterte Challenges Rappler Report Linking Her Investment to Jollibee Branches
SARA DUTERTE – A controversy involving Jollibee has drawn Vice President Sara Duterte and Rappler into a dispute over her reported investment in a company operating the restaurant branches.
Vice President Sara Duterte has rejected allegations linking her to the ownership of a Jollibee franchise, criticizing online news outlet Rappler for what she described as misleading reporting about her business interests. In a statement released on Saturday, Duterte clarified that while she had previously invested in a company connected to a legitimate business organization, this did not mean she owned or operated any of its individual businesses.
“I do not own a Jollibee franchise or any other franchise. I previously invested in a company that is part of a legitimate business organization owned and operated by individuals with an established reputation for integrity and good standing,” Duterte said in a statement on Saturday.
She argued that investing in a company should not automatically be interpreted as direct ownership of the businesses it operates.
“A basic level of research and due diligence should make this clear. Rappler should understand that investing in a company does not automatically equate to owning the company itself, much less owning, managing or operating its individual businesses or franchises,” she added.
The Vice President also expressed concern that reports linking her to legitimate enterprises could negatively affect their public image and commercial interests.
She raised concerns over the “apparent targeting of legitimate businesses, which inevitably causes unwarranted reputational and commercial damage.”
The controversy emerged after Jollibee was mentioned in a forensic financial report presented by analyst Alexander Cabrera during Duterte’s impeachment trial.
Cabrera reportedly identified GenCorp, a company included in Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), as the owner of five Jollibee restaurants. The disclosure prompted scrutiny of the Vice President’s reported financial connections to the company.
Rappler subsequently defended its reporting, describing Duterte’s accusations as “deeply troubling.” The news organization maintained that its article relied on the Vice President’s declared assets and the financial analysis presented by Cabrera.
“The Vice President has declared that she is a stockholder of Gencorp. She owns a stake in the company. And Gencorp operates numerous Jollibee branches — that much was established by Rappler’s original reporting even before Cabrera testified. The prosecution’s evidence consequently supported this,” Rappler said in a statement posted on Instagram.
The outlet also defended the accuracy of its coverage, questioning Duterte’s characterization of its reporting.
“If these, in the Vice President’s view, do not make for factual and responsible journalism, then we do not know what does,” the news outlet added.
The disagreement highlights conflicting interpretations of Duterte’s reported investment in GenCorp and its connection to Jollibee operations.
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