Money politics

All hell broke loose, so to speak. It was like seeing a dormant but active volcano called Mt. Apo in Davao City erupt without warning over the weekend. Also known as the highest point in the Philippines, Mt. Apo last erupted in 1640 and thankfully has been calm for so many years. Smouldering in wrath, Vice President Sara Duterte unleashed her bottled up fury.

The volcanic-like temper of VP Sara cut down to pieces the people who blocked her path. Blinded by rage, the VP unfortunately forgot her role as the second highest elected official of the land. As such, she must be responsible for the welfare and national interest of our people and country over and above anything else, come what may. But her personal gripes, frustrations and disappointments over politics got the better of her.

Methinks, VP Sara let her unhinged self pour her deep-seated hurt when she had a zoom conference with known social media vloggers of DDS (diehard Duterte supporters). She apparently did not know the entire video zoom conferencing of her ranting and harangue were shared online by the likes of Maharlika, Lorraine Badoy, the SMNI network identified with detained Pastor Quiboloy, who were among those seen in the video screen behind her.

Aside from the cussing, the visibly incensed VP Sara nonchalantly announced having hired an unnamed “assassin” to specifically kill President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.(PBBM), his wife First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, Speaker Martin Romualdez. That is, in case she is killed.

Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner was not even spared, as VP Sara accused him of “comfortably speaking” while the country is supposedly in turmoil. It was short of asking the military to intervene anew ala 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. VP Sara though would later clarify the people only need to go to Malacañang Palace. Still sounds like inciting to sedition.

But there was a notable shift back to VP Sara’s public statements and official demeanor hours later, when the mainstream media covered the ensuing “drama” at the Batasan Pambansa complex in Quezon City. As a lawyer and politician, she turned to her legalistic self and calculated public statements. What gives?

It was too late to backpedal now that all security authorities have doubled down against the assassin’s threat on PBBM. And the Chief Executive himself is not taking any chances. While proceeding on his scheduled state visit tomorrow morning in the United Arab Emirates, PBBM and the First Lady will return to Manila later on the same day.

PBBM earlier begged off from attending the annual APEC Leaders’ Summit in Peru in deference to the victims and destruction from the series of typhoon calamities that hit the Philippines one after the other. With no less than the VP kicking up dust, PBBM could not afford to be out of the country to foil any political instability from another coup attempt or any destabilization plot.

At the rate of deep division being sown upon us, it is incumbent upon PBBM, as the father of the Filipino nation, to reach out to disgruntled and feuding children, including his 46-year-old VP Sara.

In her rage-filled narratives, VP Sara recalled it all started after the Speaker, PBBM’s first cousin, met with the Makabayan bloc late last year. Brutally frank, she berated Manila Rep. Joel Chua and the left-leaning House Makabayan bloc.

From then on, according to VP Sara, this “drama” unfolded.

The House of Representatives started its legislative inquiry into the questioned use of P612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) in the 2023 budgets of Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd). As DepEd secretary, VP Sara used to concurrently serve as co-chair of the National Task Force to End the Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). This was until June this year when she resigned from the Cabinet of PBBM.

The House committee on good government chaired by Rep. Chua tried but failed to summon VP Sara to appear before them to explain the CIF expenditures of the OVP and the DepEd. Although they failed to get the VP to cooperate with them, DepEd and OVP officials under her were invited to testify. Initially, six of the OVP officials refused to attend. One of them, OVP chief of staff lawyer Zuleika Lopez, however, left the country purportedly to visit relatives in the United States.

Under pain of contempt charges, the six OVP officials subsequently showed up at the House hearing, including Lopez who flew back home last week. For allegedly “lying” under oath during her testimony last Thursday, Lopez was cited for contempt upon the motion of another Makabayan bloc member, ACT party list Rep. France Castro.

Upon learning this, VP Sara wrote two letter requests to Rep. Chua. In her first letter, she asked to be allowed to visit Lopez. And in the second letter, she asked to be allowed to stay with Lopez, who was being detained at the House Legislative Security Building at Batasan. That very Thursday night, VP Sara slept at the House office of her brother, Davao City Rep. Polong Duterte.

What finally made VP Sara blow her top was the sudden and hasty House committee order to transfer Lopez to the Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong City. Nine members of the House sargeant-at-arms fetched Lopez midnight of Friday. Acting as the lawyer for Lopez, the VP tried but failed to stop the House from implementing the transfer order.

Stress-stricken Lopez vomitted. Fearing Lopez had a heart attack of sorts drove the feisty VP crazy angry. It was at this juncture that all hell broke loose.

From a legal standpoint, the VP camp had valid arguments. But for us ordinary Filipinos, VP Sara’s revelations show that all of her woes trace their roots to “money politics.” Alas, it’s our taxpayers’ money that they are all fighting about.

With the May 2025 national and local elections just around the corner, we dread the thought of more “drama” ahead of us.