OPPOSITION leader Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman yesterday laughed off claims that Vice President Sara Duterte should be the opposition leader, saying the Liberal Party remains the genuine opposition.
The claim was made by Duterte’s ally, former presidential spokesman Harry Roque, after the Vice President announced on Wednesday she was quitting the Marcos Cabinet.
Lagman, LP president, said, “Vice President Sara Duterte may assume the leadership of the partisan opposition to the Marcos Jr. administration but the Liberal Party (LP) remains the ideological and conscientious opposition to both the current administration and Duterte’s breakaway power bloc.”
LP spokesperson and former senator Leila de Lima said Duterte does not possess the qualities of a true opposition leader, based on her track record.
“A true opposition has a foundation of accountability, transparency, and compassion for the people — traits we cannot see based on the track record of VP Sara. When she resigned (as education secretary), she did not even own up to her responsibilities,” she said in Filipino.
Roque, in a Facebook post, said Duterte has the second highest mandate in government and the highest net approval and satisfaction ratings in different surveys. He said this is among reasons she should be the opposition leader. He said the Vice President is the ideal opposition leader also because she has the capabilities of a lawyer and a leader of the executive branch; she stands firm on issues against the Marcos administration; and she not only fights for the interests of those in Mindanao but also for the whole nation’s interests.
He expressed hope Duterte would accept the challenge to become the opposition leader.
Lagman, a veteran lawmaker who was among former president Rodrigo Duterte’s staunchest critics, said the LP “continues to uphold its iconic principles on good governance, participatory democracy, constitutionalism, human rights protection, and anti-authoritarian rule, all of which are not in the track record of the leaders of the now-defunct UniTeam.”
The senior legislator earlier said the Vice President’s resignation from the Marcos Cabinet marks the end of her alliance with the Chief Executive, who was her running mate in the 2022 national elections under the UniTeam ticket.
De Lima said the opposition puts the interest of the people above all, and not act as protector of certain individuals, like a “wanted religious leader.”
She was apparently referring to Apollo Quiboloy, leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ who is facing a string of criminal cases.
The militant Makabayan bloc also dismissed Roque’s claim, finding it amusing.
“Opposition? Saang banda (Which part)? She was not even able to speak up on Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea,” said Rep. France Castro (PL, ACT).
Rep. Arlene Brosas said (PL, Gabriela) said being in the opposition means one is anti-corruption, something which, she said, the Vice President cannot claim when her office spent millions in confidential funds in just 11 days in 2022.
Second, she said, the younger Duterte is also a failure when it comes to protecting human rights because “she’s a red-tagger.”
“There are so many issues regarding human rights faced by Sara Duterte,” she said.
Rep. Raoul Manuel (PL, Kabataan) said the Duterte camp is claiming to be the opposition only out of convenience because it is now at loggerheads with the Marcos Jr. administration.
He cited the possible entry in the country of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which is investigating her father and Marcos’ predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, for “crimes against humanity” for his bloody war on drugs.
“They are only opposing because they do not want the Marcoses in power, and they want to replace the ruling party with themselves,” Manuel said.
Manila Rep. Joel Chua said it is now time to “undo the disaster Vice President Sara Duterte did at the Department of Education (DepEd) as education secretary.”
Chua said the Vice President has been “living a lie” and faking a “facade of unity” with President Marcos Jr. since June 2022 when they assumed office.
“It is now time to unravel the havoc she has caused in DepEd. It is time to undo the damage she has inflicted upon teachers, schools, and students,” he said. “It is time to unmask the appointments made in DepEd in aid of the 2028 (presidential) elections.”
The Manila lawmaker called for an end to “all politically motivated bullying and brainwashing in DepEd,” including placing on hold the Vice President’s “Matatag curriculum.” — With Raymond Africa and Jocelyn Montemayor
