FACT CHECK: News graphic claiming Karen Davila is ‘willing to die for the Dutertes’ is fake

Claim: Veteran broadcast journalist Karen Davila is willing to die for the Duterte family. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The TikTok video containing the claim has 27,500 views, 2,540 likes, 258 comments, and 124 shares as of writing.

The post, attributed to “Solid North News Media,” features a photo of the Duterte family with an overlaid image of Davila.

The headline of the news graphic reads: “Karen Davila handang mamatay para sa mga Duterte (Karen Davila is willing to die for the Dutertes).”

Some commenters on the post appear to believe the claim, leaving messages of thanks and support for Davila. 

The facts: No credible evidence or official record supports the claim that Davila said she was willing to die for the Duterte family. A review of her public interviews, televised broadcasts, and official social media accounts shows no instance in which she expressed personal allegiance or made any statement of this nature toward any political family.

No reputable news organization has reported such a quote, and there is no available video, audio, or transcript that substantiates the claim. 

Moreover, “Solid North News Media” is not a verified or accredited news outlet. On Facebook, it describes itself as a “Community Center,” not as a news organization or media company. This indicates that it operates as a user-managed page rather than a media agency.

Criticism of Davila: Davila has been on the receiving end of criticism from Duterte supporters related to her coverage of the former president and his family. In 2016, she was accused of being “biased” after asking then-presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte tough follow-up questions during the “Fast Talk” segment of the ABS-CBN presidential debate.

Davila defended her role, saying Duterte could handle tougher scrutiny as the leading presidential candidate at the time and added that her questions were part of standard debate moderation. She also clarified that her photo with Duterte during the debate did not indicate political endorsement.

In later years, public interactions between Davila and the Duterte camp remained limited to professional coverage. In July 2025, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) issued a public statement criticizing Davila over remarks aired on her ANC program Headstart, after the journalist stated that if Vice President Sara Duterte wins in 2028, she would allegedly revive the Presidential Commission on Good Government to prosecute the Marcoses.

The OVP said Duterte did not make such remarks and described the statement as “blatant falsehoods” and “absolute lies,” adding that the claim attributed to unnamed sources was “entirely fabricated.” – Marjuice Destinado/Rappler.com

Marjuice Destinado is a senior political science student at Cebu Normal University (CNU) and an alumna of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2025.

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