THE 21ST City Council on Tuesday passed a resolution expressing strong condemnation of the statement of Jose Mari Viceral aka Vice Ganda.
The resolution, passed during the 6th regular session’s privilege hour, was entitled “A resolution condemning the statement of comedian Jose Mari Viceral, also known as ‘Vice Ganda,’ for mocking former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, thereby disrespecting the former president.”
Authored by councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, the resolution stressed that Vice Ganda made “satirical and derogatory” remarks on former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Former President Duterte is not merely a national leader – he is a son of Davao. For decades, he devoted his life to public service, transforming our city into a model of peace, discipline, and progress, and later serving as the 16th President of the Republic of the Philippines,” Dayanghirang said in his speech.
“Such a disrespectful portrayal is not only an affront to him as a person, but an insult to the Davaoeños who hold him in the highest esteem,” he added.
Dayanghirang, in his speech, recalled that Duterte treated the comedian well in one of his interviews when Duterte was still running for president in 2016.
“The president was very respectful to him (Vice Ganda), so I was very surprised,” he said, referring to the performance of the comedian.
To note, an article from ABS-CBN in 2016 reported the noon time show host led the live audience of “It’s Showtime” to sing the nursery song “Tatlong Bibe,” saying “Kaya kapag sinabi ni Duterte na kwak-kwak, kwak-kwak tayong lahat, follow the leader.”
At a concert in Smart Araneta Coliseum on Aug. 8 and 9, 2025, the Showtime host mocked former President Rodrigo Duterte through a skit about the “jetski,” the previous campaign promise of the mayor-elect about riding a jetski to the West Philippine Sea.
A play on the TikTok trend about an advertisement, Vice Ganda said: “Nothing beats a Jetski holiday, ride now from Manila to the West Philippine Sea via Jetski. 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.” He also mimicked Duterte by saying: “Huwag ‘nyo kong subukan mga p*tang ina nyo.”
The resolution stressed that Vice Ganda insulted not only Duterte, but also the Davaoeños.
“While freedom of expression is a protected constitutional right, such right must be exercised with responsibility, avoiding statements or acts that demean individuals, promote disrespect, or encourage divisiveness,” it reads.
The proponent moved for a unanimous vote from all the members of the city council present, which the body agreed to.
Contrary to Dayanghirang’s initial statements that he planned to pass a resolution declaring Vice Ganda as persona non grata, he told reporters that the resolution strongly condemning the remarks was the consensus of the members of the city council.
“Even without the council, people are already reacting to it. If you look at the meat of the resolution, the guy (Duterte) is already in pain, he’s already 80 years old, and we are here to maintain unity,” the councilor told the media after the session.
Asked about his position on the netizens’ comments hitting Duterte’s “rape jokes” and blasphemy, Dayanghirang said it is the leadership style of the former president, “so leave it as it is.”
“It’s not a question of balat-sibuyas, it’s a question of the right thing to do. Are you happy to mock an 80-year-old? Are you happy to castigate and disrespect the person who is a former president?” Dayanghirang stressed.
Asked on the call of the Davaoeños to boycott Vice Ganda’s endorsements, he said, “It is a personal preference.”
