VP: Don’t be motivated by cash, cocaine, champagne

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte continued her broadsides yesterday against her erstwhile allies, declaring that “leaders should not be motivated by cash, cocaine or champagne… And most certainly, leaders should not be made to hold champagne glasses.”

Duterte also admitted that she and President Marcos have not seen or talked to each other since she resigned from her Cabinet post in June.

“I don’t have a description of my relationship now with President Marcos. We no longer talk to each other. We also no longer see each other,” Duterte said yesterday in separate interviews with SMNI and GMA News.

In a public statement she posted on her personal Facebook page, which was shared by the Office of the Vice President, Duterte mentioned for the second time the word “cocaine.”

It was seen as a reference to accusations by her camp that Marcos is a cocaine user. Her mention of champagne was also seen as a reference to video footage during the diplomatic reception held recently at Malacañang, which showed First Lady Liza Marcos grabbing a champagne glass held by Senate President Francis Escudero, sipping from it and handing it back to him.

In an open letter last Wednesday, Duterte lamented how the government and its officials “continuously” allowed Filipinos to go hungry, live in poverty and remain vulnerable to crimes.

She specifically slammed the government and members of the House of Representatives over supposed inaction on the issues of health, security and foreign interference, especially of the International Criminal Court and their investigation on her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, saying that “Filipinos deserve better.”

Duterte defended her statement, saying that she was neither “pro-administration” nor “anti-administration,” but rather speaking for the welfare of the Filipinos and the country.

Addressing government officials, Duterte said: “Leadership is faithfulness to the oath of office. Leadership is faithful service to the people. Leaders should only say one thing – that ‘it is done.’”

The Vice President also criticized the recent survey of OCTA Research, which showed that fewer people are supportive of her family, claiming that someone must have paid the research group to ask if they are “pro-Marcos” or “pro-Duterte.”

“They should have asked, ‘are you pro-Philippines?’ I’m sure everyone would change their answer to ‘pro-Philippines,’” Duterte said.

Earlier this week, the research group released the results of its June 29 to July 1 survey that found only 16 percent of the respondents identify themselves as “pro-Duterte,” four points down from 20 percent in March.

Meanwhile, those who support the Marcos administration increased by five points from 31 percent to 36 percent.

OCTA Research maintained that it is non-partisan and its surveys are conducted independently.

“Our goal was to try to contribute to conversation on political preference, which is something very hard and challenging to measure,” political analyst and OCTA co-founder Ranjit Rye said in a phone interview with The STAR.

In the same interviews, Duterte said the desire to “perpetuate power” may be the motive behind the attacks on her and her family.

“It’s very obvious that everything you are hearing or seeing that is being done right now – the motive behind is that ‘I no longer want to step down. This (power) will be mine forever,’” Duterte stressed.

Budget ‘mishandling’

Duterte has cited the “mishandling” of the national budget for 2024 as among her “long list of reasons” for resigning from the Marcos Cabinet.

“And these reasons are in various categories – personal, which I would keep between me and the President. There’s a reason involving DepEd (Department of Education), there’s about the budget and there’s also something about the nation in general,” Duterte said in an interview with “24 Oras” on GMA News.

However, she was candid in saying that she had issues with how the 2024 national budget was appropriated by Congress.

She also cited her efforts in correcting the mishandling of funds in the national budget, claiming that her call fell on deaf ears as there were no changes made in the budget.

Duterte ended her statement by thanking the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japanese government for helping Davao City in flood control projects.

She said she twice experienced first-hand the flooding in Davao City because of the unimplemented infrastructure projects. “So I am using my position, resources and platform to be the voice to show our government officials HOW TO COMMAND,” Duterte said.

“The government might want to fund these infrastructure projects which are in accordance with the master plan? Or they are hesitating because a Duterte is a sitting mayor and they would rather tear down what was already started?” Duterte added in Filipino, apparently referring to her brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte.

Lawmakers hit back

Lawmakers from the House of Representatives and the Senate have hit back on Duterte’s tirades against the government’s actions.

Vice chairman of the House committee on appropriations Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon said that Duterte should have raised concerns on the DepEd’s budget earlier if there “were indeed budget issues.”

“It’s easy to blame others, but real leadership is about finding solutions and taking responsibility,” Bongalon said as he called on Duterte to be accountable for her statement.

Bongalon also highlighted “unresolved issues” under Duterte’s leadership of DepEd, particularly the Philippines’ poor performance in the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment.

Senate President Francis Escudero also hit back at Duterte, saying she could suggest or do something tangible about the country’s problems using her position, resources and platform instead of pointing fingers.

Escudero also noted her criticism on the master plan for flood control projects, saying that “her questioning the absence of a flood master plan two years into the administration of Marcos is perplexing, yet the previous administration had six years to develop one, but was unable to do so.”

He urged Duterte to stop pointing fingers and work together in solving the country’s problems instead.

Sen. JV Ejercito labeled Duterte’s criticism as a “sad development” for the administration.

Meanwhile, Sen. Imee Marcos defended the Vice President, saying that the latter is relaying the longstanding problems of Filipinos such as the master plan for flood control, more efficient use of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and better peace and order for the country.

Senator Marcos added she maintains her friendship with the Vice President despite Duterte’s criticism of the President. — Janvic Mateo, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Sheila Crisostomo