Vice Ganda not persona non grata – Davao council

MANILA, Philippines — The Davao City Council has opted not to declare performer Jose Marie Viceral, better known as Vice Ganda, a persona non grata for poking fun at former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained at an International Criminal Court prison in The Hague, the Netherlands.

“The members of the Sangguniang Panglungsod ng Davao have far more important matters to attend to than entertaining baseless, attention-seeking antics from performers desperate for relevance,” acting Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte II said in a statement.

A fake city council resolution declaring Vice Ganda persona non grata circulated online after the comedian aped in a skit the former president’s campaign promise of going to the West Philippine Sea. The skit angered some Duterte supporters.

Acting Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte denied the authenticity of the resolution, saying the council’s time is better spent on “crafting polices and programs that improve the lives” of Davao residents.

“Davao City will not be distracted by cheap insults and distasteful jokes made for clout. Public figures like Vice Ganda, who use their platform to mock rather than uplift, reveal more about their own character than about the people they ridicule,” the acting mayor said.

“The dignity and pride of Dabawenyos are not for sale and certainly not for comedy fodder,” he added.

He advised Vice Ganda to “show the same hard work, discipline and respect that Davao leaders and citizens demonstrate daily if he wants to be remembered for more than the empty laughs and headline-grabbing jokes.”