VICE President Sara Duterte said the country seems to be “working to go to the dumpster” because of the Marcos administration’s alleged failure to address economic woes.
Malacañang fired back, with Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro saying the country would likely be headed for the dumpster if it has a president like Duterte who is abroad serving only one person, instead of millions of Filipinos as the second top official of the land.
Duterte has been in the Netherlands since March 13, or two days after her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested for alleged crimes against humanity and brought to The Hague where he will face trial before the International Criminal Court.
The vice president, in an interview with reporters in the Hague on Tuesday, said, “Well, lugmok na tayo sa kahirapan (we’re already mired in poverty) because at this point, we should be working our way up but it seems that we are working to go to the dumpster.”
“As I said nuon, we are on this road to perdition. Sinabi ko na yan nuon. Sa totoo lang, somehow, walang nakikitang hope yung mga tao dahil wala din silang nakikita mula sa gobyerno (As I said before, we are on the road to perdition. I’ve already said that before. Frankly speaking, somehow, the people don’t see hope because they don’t see anything from the government),” she added.
The vice president made the statement after she was asked to expound on her claim that Filipinos may no longer have a country by 2028, the year that the next national elections will be held, because “we are sinking and sinking.”
Despite calls from her supporters for her to seek the presidency in 2028, Duterte said could not declare her political plans yet as she has to first make sure she will win. She said it is hard to give people hope when you know you are unsure about victory.
Duterte said she has been advised to declare her political plans by the fourth quarter of 2026, possibly December of that year.
She also belied claims that she called for the resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, saying it was clear the call came from her supporters who gathered around her to express their support for her father.
“I didn’t say BBM should resign. What I said yesterday, when you called for ‘BBM resign!’ was give a reason why you’re making that call to them. And I gave them examples,” she said in Filipino.
In that gathering, the she also said, “Bakit ba kailangan mag-resign? Dahil hindi mo pinapakita sa taongbayan na maayos kang mag isip at kaya mo ang mamuno (Why the need to resign? It’s because you failed to show the people that you can think clearly and that you can lead)?”
Duterte and Marcos were running mates in the 2022 national elections. She quit the Marcos Cabinet in June last year and has since been attacking government.
Castro, in a briefing in Malacañang yesterday, said Duterte is likely unaware of the administration’s programs and achievements.
She also said Duterte’s situation is understandable but she should remember she has other responsibilities and an obligation to the millions of Filipinos as their vice president.
“Hindi ba mas magiging mapupunta tayo sa dumpster kung ang magiging pangulo natin o magiging leader natin ay mga katulad nila VP Sara, mas na inuuna pang magpunta sa abroad, magsilbi sa isang tao, although tatay niya po iyon, pero marami pa rin pong Pilipino na umaasa sa kanya bilang bise presidente (Won’t we really be headed for the dumpster if our president or leader is like VP Sara, who prioritized going abroad to serve one person, although that’s her father, but a lot of people depend on her as vice president),” she said.
