VP Sara: No cracks in UniTeam amid ICC probe, confidential funds issues

There are no cracks in the UniTeam coalition despite the issues surrounding the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation and the removal of the proposed P650 million confidential fund of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd) in the 2024 national budget, Vice President Sara Duterte stressed on Tuesday.
 

Duterte made the remark days after President Ferdinand Marcos “Bongbong” Jr. said that returning to the ICC fold was "under study." This was in light of the ICC investigation on the illegal drugs campaign led by her father, then President Rodrigo Duterte.
 

“Wala naman… Ang UniTeam kasi it was a tandem during the elections ‘no. Ngayon naman ang trabaho namin is hindi na pangangampanya, ang trabaho namin is President and Vice President,” Duterte said in an ambush interview.
 

(There are no cracks. The UniTeam was a tandem during the elections. Now our work is not to campaign anymore, we are now working as President and Vice President.)

Duterte also said she has not heard of any complaints from Marcos regarding her job as Education secretary.
 

“With regard to our working relationship, wala naman akong narinig kay President Marcos na reklamo niya with regard to trabaho namin sa Department of Education. Tuloy tuloy lang ang trabaho,” she added.
 

(With regard to our working relationship, I have not heard any complaints from President Marcos regarding our work at the Department of Education. Our work continues.)
 

Earlier this month, Duterte dropped her bid for proposed P500 million confidential funds of the OVP, as well as the P150 million worth of confidential funds of DepEd for next year.
 

House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list lawmaker France Castro alleged that certain leaders of political parties in the House are talking about impeaching the vice president.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez said that “there’s nothing in the offing” with regards to the supposed impeachment talks against Duterte.
 

Amid these issues, Duterte urged the public to closely observe political developments.
 

“Mag-masid. ‘Yung mga mahilig sa pulitika, mag-masid sila,” she said.

(Observe. Those who are inclined to politics should watch more closely.)
 

She also reiterated that it is not yet the right time to talk about the upcoming 2025 and 2028 elections.
 

“Hindi pa talaga kasi ngayon ang panahon ng pamumulitika dahil napakalayo pa ng 2025 at syempre mas malayo pa ang 2028. Kaya nga kung nakikita ninyo, ang mga ginagawa namin, ay trabaho lang sa Office of the Vice President at sa Department of Education. Kung meron mang atake o kung meron mang issue na lumalabas, we address it on a case to case basis,” she said.
 

(Now is not really the time for politics because 2025 is still far away and 2028 is even further away. As you see, what we’re doing in the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education is just work. If there is an attack or issue that comes up, we address it on a case to case basis.)
 

Duterte earlier said she has no desire to run for the presidency in the 2028 national elections.

Her father, Rodrigo, said he will be forced to run for either vice president or senator if his daughter Sara gets impeached.—RF, GMA Integrated News