VP Sara as the new opposition leader? Let's hear it from her, says Speaker

Is Vice President Sara Duterte the new opposition leader?

Speaker Martin Romualdez said the Vice President should be the one making such an announcement, not former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

“I guess, that's Mr. Harry Roque's statement, but I guess we'll have to just hear it from the VP if and when the time comes for her to make statements or to make any policy or statements on policies of the national government,” Romualdez, who served as Vice President Duterte’s campaign manager in the 2022 polls, said in a press conference.

Be that as it may, Romualdez said he wishes the Vice President well going forward.

“I think this was her personal decision and I really respect the decision. Obviously, we miss the closer interactions that we had during the campaign. But nonetheless, there's politics and there's personal [matters] and we only wish the Vice President nothing but the best,” Romualdez said.

“And we wish her the best of luck in all the endeavors and in her service to the Filipino people,” he added.

Last year, the Vice President said that those against the confidential funds are against peace and therefore, are enemies of the state after the Romualdez-led House realigned over P1 billion worth of confidential funds, including P500 million for the Office of the Vice President, to agencies with the direct mandate to ensure national security.

The House made the move after it was revealed by the Commission on Audit (COA) during the proposed 2024 budget deliberations that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) spent P125 million of its confidential funds in 11 days during December 2022 even though the 2022 national budget did not provide a budget item for such allocation.

Since then, the Vice President’s father and former President Rodrigo Duterte has launched attacks on Romualdez and the Speaker’s cousin, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

The Vice President earlier said she resigned as Education chief and vice chairperson of the government’s anti-insurgency task force for the greater good. —LDF,GMA Integrated News