VP Sara slams political harassment vs. family, 'expects' impeachment

Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday described the allegations against her husband, Mans Carpio, and brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, over a supposed shabu shipment as "political harassment."

"Lahat ito ay political harassment, political attacks," the Vice President said in an ambush interview.

"Nakikita niyo naman, lumabas siya nung umalis ako sa DepEd (Department of Education), lumabas siya nung nagsasalita na ako kung anong dapat pinagawa natin para sa ating bayan," she added.

Duterte made the comment a day after former officer of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Jimmy Guban testified before a joint congressional hearing that he had been told that a multi-billion-peso shabu shipment seized in 2018 belonged to Paolo Duterte, Mans Carpio, and former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang.

Guban, who has been indicted in connection with the drug shipment, temporarily came out of detention to testify during the hearing. 

Paolo Duterte, in a statement, said Guban’s claims should be dismissed for being "baseless."

“Nais ko pong ipaalala sa taumbayan na ang salitang 'star witness' ay humahalimbawa lamang sa mga taong nagsasalita ng katotohanan lamang at may kredibilidad. Hindi po si Jimmy Guban ang taong yan sapagkat siya po ay na i-contempt na ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee dahil sa kanyang pagsisinungaling,” he said.

The Vice President, meanwhile, said that she will let her husband answer the allegations himself.

"At napag-usapan din namin ng aking asawa, si Mance Carpio, na kung ano yung sa kanya na issue, siya lang yung sasagot at kung ano yung sa akin, yun lang din ang sasagutin ko para klaro yung mga linya ng pagsasagot namin," said the Vice President.

Impeachment

The Vice President said that this political attack against her family is just a "distraction" from the "real problems" of the country.

"At yung problema ng mga tao sa mahal na pagkain, yun talaga yung basic na problema at basic need ng bayan ngayon. Kaya sana ay hindi sila magpadala sa ingay, but kundi tutukan natin lahat kung ano yung totoong problema ng ating bayan," said the Vice President. 

Earlier this month, the VP criticized the Philippine government, including the House of Representatives, for its supposed lack of action to address such issues and said that Filipinos "deserve better."

Sara Duterte now says that she expects a possible impeachment case to be filed against her.

"Ang impeachment, at naririnig naman namin lagi yun, base sa mga sinasabi ng mga kaibigan doon sa loob. Expected na natin yan dahil mainit nga ang politika ngayon dito sa ating bayan," she said. 

"Pero inuulit ko, sana ay hindi madala ang ating mga kababayan sa ingay ng politika," she added. 

The Vice President also reiterated that she still has yet to talk to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. after she quit her Cabinet posts back in June. 

Duterte further clarified that her relationship with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. remains "no label."

"Oo, nasagot ko na yan last time nung tinanong ako. At kumusta yung relationship namin? Wala akong label sa relationship namin ngayon. Hindi na kami nagkikita, hindi na rin kami nagkakausap," she said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News