Fact Check: VP Sara's Counsel Not Daughter of Prominent Lawyer Jose Sison

A claim circulating on social media that lawyer Sheila Sison, lead defense counsel for Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial, is the daughter of prominent lawyer and television presenter Jose C. Sison, has been debunked by Rappler. The misleading posts, which have garnered significant reactions and shares, often feature a side-by-side photo of the two lawyers with text overlaying, "Like father, like daughter." The caption sometimes reads, "No wonder she is so good; I used to watch Atty. Sison on ‘Kapag may Katuwiran, Ipaglaban Mo.’" However, Rappler found that Jose Sison has only one daughter, Joyce, and five sons. In an opinion column published on Philstar.com on March 9, 2012, the veteran lawyer mentioned commemorating the death anniversary of his "beloved and only daughter, Joyce." In another column from February 2024, Sison listed his six children: Joyce, Jopet, Joel, Jay, Jolly, and Jaybee. There is no publicly available information confirming Sheila Sison as one of Jose Sison’s children. Sheila Sison is a partner at Fortun Narvasa & Salazar law firm. She holds a communication arts degree from UP Los Baños and a law degree from San Sebastian College Recoletos, where she was class valedictorian. She was admitted to the Bar in 2014. Her biography on the Fortun Narvasa Salazar website does not disclose her parents' names. The misleading posts gained traction amid Duterte’s impeachment trial, which began on July 6. Four articles of impeachment have been filed against Duterte, alleging misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and grave threats. During the impeachment trial's opening, lead defense counsel Sheila Sison addressed the issues, including the alleged misuse of confidential funds, asserting that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., through his Cabinet, had approved the release of these funds. Rappler has previously fact-checked several other claims related to Duterte’s impeachment trial.