VICE President Sara Duterte on Sunday said she expects nothing “substantial” in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) next month, unleashing a mouthful against the Chief Executive and accusing him of having the “hallmark of a scammer” for allegedly failing to deliver on his campaign promises.
Duterte confirmed House Secretary General Reginald Velasco’s announcement that she has declined to attend the SONA for the second straight year, saying “it would be best to spend that time with the Filipino community discussing what we can do for the country and to improve the country.”
“I do not intend to attend the State of the Nation address of President Marcos since I don’t think he will be providing anything substantial about our country,” Duterte said after attending the “Free Duterte Now” rally in Melbourne, Australia, where she asked her Filipino supporters to call for the immediate release of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained in the Netherlands, where he is being tried by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.
The Vice President said she harbors no “ill-feelings” for what the administration has been doing to her since she severed political ties with Marcos Jr., who was her running mate in the 2022 national elections.
“I have no ill feelings with him with regard to the political persecution that I am receiving from the administration because that is part of the life of a politician,” she said.
The Vice President however said the President’s performance remains unacceptable to her. “I have problems with his performance as president and I have problems with the violations of our fundamental law, our Constitution, particularly with the rendition of former president Duterte. That was really an affront to Philippine sovereignty,” she said.
She said she was hoping “to see some sort of truth to his statement that he is focusing on helping our fellow Filipinos and doing something for the country.” “Unfortunately, if you talk to the ordinary citizens and the Filipino community abroad, we don’t see anything at all,” she said.
The younger Duterte said the President “has not followed through within any of his campaign promises “and that is an example of the conflicts with regard to our President,” she said.
“Well, we’re not surprised. He has the hallmark of a scammer,” she said.
Addressing her supporters who gathered at the Parliament Gardens in Melbourne, the Vice President also questioned where the country’s huge national debt has been spent, saying ordinary citizens have yet to feel the impact of the massive borrowings.
“P16 trillion ang utang ng Pilipinas at iyan ay mamanahin ng future generations of Filipino. Pero bakit hindi natin nakikita? Bakit P16 trillion ang utang natin at wala tayong makita? Nasaan ang inutang? Kasi ‘pag nangutang ka, dapat may nakikita (The Philippines has a P16 trillion debt and that will be inherited by future generations of Filipinos. But why don’t we see it? Why is it that we have a P16 trillion dent and we don’t see where it went? Where’s the money? Because when you borrow, we should see something),” she said.
Palace press officer Claire Castro yesterday hit back at Duterte, claiming that the country incurred the highest debt during her father’s term.
Castro said the more than P16 trillion national debt at present refers to the total debt of the Philippine government, including those that were borrowed before Marcos assumed the presidency in 2022.
“Let’s also remember that the administration of former president Duterte recorded the highest debt, reaching P12.79 trillion as of June 2022,” Castro said in Filipino.
“Duterte administration incurred debts amounting to P6.84 trillion as of June 2022, which reflected a 115.1 percent increase in the country’s debt,” she added.
She did not provide details on the amount of debt under the previous administration, but reports said the Duterte administration in July 2016 inherited a P5.95 trillion debt, which grew to P12.5 trillion in 2022 or an increase of P6.55 trillion.
The Marcos government, which inherited P12.5 trillion in July 2022, now has a debt of around P16 trillion.
“For now, the government is trying to avoid borrowing some more as the President wants and wishes to further strengthen the economy,” Castro said.
Castro also questioned the Vice President’s claim that she does not see any improvement or developments in the country under the Marcos administration, when the latter herself mentioned that there were reports of such economic developments.
She also mentioned some of the recent government programs, such as the 3+1 family promo offered by the railway systems on Sundays, the expanded Philippine Health insurance coverage, the P20 per kilo rice, among others.
“It’s hard to teach someone who knows nothing and has no intention of learning. It’s just as hard to open the eyes of someone who is blind — or chooses to stay blind,” she said.
On Duterte’s remarks that she regrets teaming up with Marcos in the 2022 elections, Castro said that it’s the younger Duterte’s loss and not the President’s.
She added that Marcos has never spoken out against the Vice President and has not issued any negative remarks against her.
Castro also dismissed claims of the Vice President that Marcos is a “budol” or scammer, reiterating that the criticisms and statements of the younger Duterte against the President and his administration are not new. – With Jocelyn Reyes
