Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday said gun violence in the Philippines is a serious issue that should not be dismissed as “clickbait.”

In a statement, Duterte said reports of shootings, killings and other violent crimes have become so common that many Filipinos no longer feel safe, urging the public and the media to focus on the broader issue of public security.

“Gun violence is a reality, not just a clickbait,” Duterte said.

“It is a fact that gun violence in the Philippines has become alarmingly commonplace. This is not clickbait, nor is it a headline that should be reduced to a passing remark.”

Duterte said discussions about violence should not be reduced to what she described as a “Duterte and kill, kill, kill” narrative, arguing that the issue reflects the daily experiences of Filipinos concerned about their safety.

Duterte earlier drew criticism over remarks she made before supporters outside the International Criminal Court detention facility in The Hague, where she questioned whether all deaths cited in complaints against former President Rodrigo Duterte could automatically be attributed to the government's anti-drug campaign.

"I have a husband. My husband has a mistress. I can hire a gunman for P5,000 to kill the mistress. How can you say that all your listed victims, all your listed complainants are supposed victims of the drug war?" Duterte said in the viral video.

Misleading video

In a separate statement, Duterte accused a tabloid of publishing a “deliberately spliced and misleading video” of the speech on its social media platforms.

She specifically took issue with a post carrying the caption, “I CAN HIRE A GUNMAN FOR P5,000,” saying the publication extracted a single statement from her speech while omitting the explanation that followed.

“By isolating a single sentence from my remarks without presenting the explanation that immediately followed, the published headline creates a false and misleading impression that is inconsistent with the substance, intent, and context of my speech.”

Duterte called on the tabloid’s editorial and social media teams to uphold “the highest standards of responsible journalism” by ensuring reporting is fair, contextual and accurate.

The vice president maintained that the broader issue raised in her speech was the prevalence of violence and crime in the country, which she said should be treated as a national priority rather than a political controversy.

“The reality is — Filipinos do not feel safe. The safety of the Filipino people must be treated as a national priority, not a mere single line of news item,” Duterte said.