Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent call for a ceasefire in the Middle East has stirred mixed reactions and some confusion among netizens.

The call did not explicitly mention the Israel-Hamas conflict, leaving some uncertain about its target.

In a video shared on her Facebook page, Duterte urged her fellow Filipinos to support a cessation of hostilities and bring the issue of peace to the table.

She emphasized the importance of unity among parties to collectively advocate for long-lasting peace, avoiding taking sides in the conflict.

She said, “Huwag tayo pumanig sa iisang partido dahil lahat ay talo sa digmaan lalong-lalo na ang mga bata. Manawagan lamang tayo ng tigil putukan at itulak natin pataas ang usaping kapayapaan” (Let us not take sides with one party because in war, everyone loses, especially the children. Let’s call for a ceasefire and push the peace agenda forward).

Duterte decided to chime in, following the lead of Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who had just delivered a heartfelt plea for a Middle East ceasefire to alleviate the epic human suffering and safeguard countless lives and the region’s fate.

Is Duterte simply playing copy-cat, or does he have a unique approach to offer?

Duterte, who also serves as the country’s Education secretary, highlighted the devastating impact of wars on children. However, her message raised questions for some netizens who found it vague or unclear.

“Lalo ako NAGULUHAN sa panawagan mo! Ikaw ang tunay na MAGULO! Ginulo mo ang pondo ng bayan para sa sarili mong kapakanan. Gulong-gulo na ang congress pati lahat ng tao dahil sa 500M confi fund mo! Dapat ikaw ang ipadala sa israel at hamas eh,” posted an X user named Harry Poppers. 

“Trying to distract people’s attention from the inquiries into her intel funds in less than a month. Still no believable or coherent explanation. Like father, like daughter,” said an X user.

Some netizens also poked fun at Duterte’s apparent lack of emotion during her message and her perceived poor reading skills.

“Muntanga! Parang ‘yung classmate mo nu’ng HS napilitang mag recite sa reading,” another netizen quipped. 

Another netizen chimed in, posting: “Hahaha Ano pinagsasabi nya , para syang nagmememorize ng poem.”

“Di ko maintindihan, dapat yung salitang Chinese ang ginamit mo,” said another X user.