Sara Duterte denies owning Jollibee franchises amid Rappler dispute

Vice President Sara Duterte has denied allegations linking her to the ownership of Jollibee franchise outlets, accusing the news outlet Rappler of conducting disinformation campaigns. The dispute arose following a Rappler report questioning whether Jollibee locations were owned by the Vice President, citing receipts from GenCorp Industries Inc. presented during Senate impeachment proceedings.

Duterte clarified that while she has been an incorporator and stockholder in GenCorp, this does not equate to owning, managing, or operating individual business franchises. She argued that Rappler’s reporting failed to distinguish between corporate investment and direct business operations. Duterte warned that such reporting could cause unwarranted reputational and commercial damage to legitimate businesses and expressed concern regarding the journalistic standards of the outlet.