Filipinos cast doubt on Vice President Sara Duterte’s claim that she does not know how to operate a computer, following rumors that she threw a laptop at her counsel, lawyer Michael Poa.
The rumors circulated on social media, alleging that Duterte threw a laptop at a member of her impeachment defense team following reported frustration over her case.
The vice president denied the allegation, saying she has “never” thrown a laptop “at a colleague, an employee or a lawyer” in her history of work.
Duterte also said that throwing a laptop or cellphone would not benefit anyone.
“Hindi ako gumagamit ng laptop kasi hindi ako marunong gumamit ng computer,” she said in an interview while at The Hague in the Netherlands, where her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, is detained.
“Sa lahat ng mga documents, nire-rely ko lang ‘yan sa kasamahan sa opisina. Minsan na gumagamit ako ng laptop, gamit ko ‘yun ‘pag may Zoom meeting kasi para maganda ‘yung image sa Zoom meeting,” Sara added.
“‘Yung laptop ko, personal ko siya na laptop, binili ko siya, mahal siya, and hindi ko siya itatapon basta basta, kasi masisira siya,” she continued.
“Tinatanong niyo bakit private ‘yung laptop ko? Hindi ma-afford ng gobyerno ‘yung gusto ko na laptop. So nagpabili ako ng laptop, sabi ng mga tao sa gobyerno, hindi daw nila ma-afford ‘yung laptop ko,” Sara said, as quoted in another report.
“So, bumili ako sa sarili ko. So, hindi ako nagtatapon ng gamit, kahit anong gamit sa ibang tao,” she added.
RELATED: VP Sara denies hurling laptop at lawyer, calls rumor a smear
Some Filipinos, however, cast doubt on her claim that she does not know how to operate a laptop, based on her responses.
“So sino ang gumagawa ng reports mo?” an online user asked.
“Di siya marunong mag-laptop pero meron siya, mamahalin pa,” another commented.
“‘Binili ko siya, mahal siya,’” a different Pinoy wrote, quoting Sara.
“Nabanggit niya na ‘yung Zoom meeting,” another said.
Another Pinoy shared a photo of Sara using a laptop in 2021, when she was still mayor of Davao City.
“Telege beh?” the user wrote.
Telege beh?
Source: https://t.co/M6v5NaE4vP pic.twitter.com/vPWKg2ymtL
— 🩵 Truffles Oucian 🩵 (@Truffles_Ocean) May 7, 2026
“Work at the Davao City Hall continues for Mayor Sara Duterte in this July 2021 photo amid calls for her to succeed her father, President Rodrigo Duterte,” part of the caption of the photo reads.
The photo was uploaded by the Philippine News Agency.
In November 2024, Sara made headlines for holding a midnight Zoom press conference originally intended for her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, where she was seen hurling threats and expletives against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
RELATED: NBI suspects Sara’s alleged hitman from her own security detail
Meanwhile, Sara claimed such rumors of her throwing a laptop were orchestrated by unnamed enemies to push their narrative against her.
— with reports from Philstar.com/Cristina Chi
