Questions about the whereabouts of the Duterte family were raised after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Mindanao, the family’s political bailiwick.
Journalist Raissa Robles on Tuesday, June 9, inquired about the Duterte siblings following the quake, which has killed at least 45 people and displaced several families.
She was referring to Vice President Sara Duterte, Rep. Pulong Duterte (Davao City, First District), and Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte.
“Are all the Duterte siblings missing in action (MIA), following the most massive earthquake in the Philippines in this century? And this earthquake happened to have hit not only their home city of Davao but also their bailiwick, Mindanao,” Robles wrote on Facebook.
“I have been wondering at the absence of photos, Facebook messages, video messages and postings on X from Vice-President Sara Duterte, her older brother, Congressman Paulo Duterte and her younger brother, Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte talking about the massive earthquake,” she added.
“The marked absence of the Duterte children at this time could have the same tectonic effect politically on the presidential ambition of Vice President Sara Duterte,” the journalist continued.
Other Filipinos also raised the same question on other platforms, including X (formerly Twitter).
“Asan ang mga DUTERTE after ng lindol sa Mindanao? Bakit hindi sila hinahanap ng mga bayarang trolls?” another Pinoy commented, referring to individuals allegedly paid to spread propaganda online.
“#NasaanNaAngMgaDuterte,” another commented, along with megaphone emojis.
📣📣📣
— AltIndayBadiday (@AltIndayBadiday) June 9, 2026
“Bakit every time may [calamity], wala ang mga Duterte siblings?” another X user asked.
“NASAAN ANG DUTERTE 2.0? Instead of focusing on earthquake response and addressing Davao’s worsening garbage problem, the Mayor of Davao flew to China. Residents are looking for leadership, action, and accountability at home—not photo ops abroad,” a different Pinoy said, sharing a screenshot of a Reddit post.
A Reddit user on Tuesday uploaded a photo of Baste allegedly spotted at China’s immigration gates. There are no other details indicated.
Baste Duterte Spotted at China Immigration After Landing
by
u/WindCapital8075 in
Philippines
The post has garnered 2,600 upvotes, three awards and more than 230 comments.
“Baste Duterte was spotted at a Chinese immigration checkpoint after landing in China amid the recent devastating earthquake that struck the southern Philippines,” the uploader wrote in the comments section.
“Imagine losing almost everything after being hit by a powerful earthquake, only to find that your mayor is in a much safer place instead of being with his community and fulfilling his responsibilities as a local leader,” the online user added.
“Noong binaha ‘yung Davao few weeks ago, wala siya sa Davao kasi busy sa Rage Coalition. Ngayon, nagkalindol, wala rin siya kasi nasa China. Pulitika talaga ang priority nitong Mayor ng Davao,” another Redditor commented.
“To be fair kay Baste, Davao City was hit only with intensity V. Kaya naman ng other local gov’t officials ihandle ‘yun. PERO, to be fair sa mga Filipino, dapat lahat ng gov’t officials should be hands-on-deck sa nangyayari ngayon!” a different Reddit user said.
“Hindi nagba-bakasyon tapos magre-reklamo na hindi daw nagtatrabaho ang gobyerno. I’m looking at you, Du30 family. Puro kayo kuda at kritisismo pero nagbabakasyon lang kayo ngayon!” the online user added.
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Saragani province on the morning of Monday, June 8.
The epicenter was located 32 kilometers south, four degrees west of Maasim, Sarangani.
General Santos City experienced a “destructive” earthquake intensity, while the municipalities of Palimbang and Sen. Ninoy Aquino in Sultan Kudarat felt a “very strong” intensity.
Meanwhile, Davao City; Kidapawan and Carmen in Cotabato; Bagumbayan, Kalamansig and President Quirino in Sultan Kudarat and Sibuco and Siocon in Zamboanga del Norte experienced a “strong” shaking.
Areas that experienced a “moderately strong” quake included Mati City in Davao Oriental; Buug in Zamboanga Sibugay and Caraga, Manay and Tarragona in Davao Oriental.
The tremor caused several buildings and establishments to collapse, including one at a public high school.
Meanwhile, a review of Baste’s Facebook page shows the Davao City government’s efforts to assist the victims of the Sarangani earthquake.
These include visual inspection results from local officials and the deployment of city emergency medical services to provide medical evacuation support for victims.
Pulong’s page, meanwhile, showed no updates or posts related to the earthquake.
Sara’s page, on the other hand, featured her participation in a tree-planting activity at the Banahao National High School in Leyte.
There were no posts about the earthquake on her personal page, although the Office of the Vice President page reported deploying food trucks to support frontliners conducting search-and-rescue operations in Calumpang, General Santos City.
The Dutertes are known to maintain a strong political foothold in Mindanao, particularly in Davao City, where the family patriarch, former President Rodrigo Duterte, served as mayor for several terms.
Sara has also previously served as Davao City mayor before assuming the vice presidency.
Meanwhile, Malacañang has activated a whole-of-government response following the earthquake, ordering key agencies to immediately coordinate relief efforts, infrastructure assessments, and implement class suspensions to protect residents and students in affected areas.
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