FACT CHECK: VP Duterte remark on chopper ride ‘to tuck children to bed’ twisted

A viral social media post that Vice President Sara Duterte flies daily to Davao City using a Philippine Air Force helicopter to tuck her children to bed is false.

On September 13, Duterte, who is holding office in Metro Manila, posted on her Facebook page a birthday message for President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., who turned 65.

Duterte wrote:

“I told PBB, we need a selfie because the Social Media Team needs an obligatory birthday selfie, hence the smileys. 

Thank you, PBB, and your 250th PAW for ensuring that wherever I may be found in the country during the day, I am home in time to tuck my children to bed. Thank you for putting a premium on the desire of a working mother to be present in her children’s lives. I wish God’s favor upon you as you celebrate your birthday and pray that you are given the strength and wisdom for the difficult road ahead. 

Happy Birthday! I wish you good health and happiness.”

Facebook page Philippines Defense Forces Forum subsequently posted a claim stating that Duterte uses the government helicopter to go home to Davao City every night for her children’s bedtime.

Here’s the full post:

“JUST IN

In a social media post, VP Sara Duterte expressed her gratitude to the president for allowing her the use of a Philippine Air Force helicopter so she can go home to Davao City every night for her children’s bedtime.”

The false claim was disputed by Duterte’s spokesperson, Reynold Munsayac, as “fake news.”

In a media interview, Munsayac said that Duterte, who drew flak for her post, is already based in Manila and that her children are also studying there.

Munsayac said the viral post was maliciously twisted, and that they were saddened by it. 

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2022/9/14/VP-Sara-Duterte-Marcos-presidential-chopper.html

The government helicopter that Duterte said allowed her to be “home in time to tuck my children to bed” wherever she may be found in the country during the day was a Bell 412.

Facebook user Gerry Cacanindin pointed out the hefty cost to operate such helicopter.

The same figure can be found at this link: https://www.aircraftcostcalculator.com/AircraftOperatingCosts/410/Bell+412EP

But Munsayac erred when he said that there is “no helicopter model that can fly straight between the cities of Manila and Davao.”

The flight distance from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila and the Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City is 519 nautical miles (nm) or 960 kilometers (km). https://www.airmilescalculator.com/distance/mnl-to-dvo/

Although the Bell 412 has a flight range of 363 nm or 672 km https://www.bellflight.com/products/bell-412, which is not enough to cover the Manila-Davao route without refueling, there are other helicopters that can fly the distance straight, including the Sikorsky X2. http://www.helistart.com/top-10-longest-range-helicopters.aspx

As with all our other reports, MindaNews welcomes leads or suggestions from the public to potential fact-check stories. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)

(This fact-check piece was produced with the support of Internews’ Philippine Fact-Checker Incubator Project.)