VP Sara: 'Hindi marunong maging Presidente ang nakaupo'

Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday accused President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. of not knowing how to rule a country — her latest tirade against her running-mate in the 2022 elections.

"Hindi marunong maging Presidente ang nakaupo, Kasalanan ko ba iyon (The one sitting doesn't know how to rule. Is it my fault)?" Duterte categorically said at a press conference in Mandaluyong City, adding it was the reason she resigned from the Department of Education (DepEd).

"Kaya ako umalis sa administration, 'di ba? Hindi ko na gusto yung mga naririnig ko dun, yung mga nakikita ko dun (That's the reason why I left the administration, right? I didn't like what I'm hearing and seeing)," she said.

Duterte also said that as far as she is concerned, the country has no "Number One." "Kung presidente ninyo siya, okay lang. Ako, hanggang Number Two lang itong bansa na ito, wala itong Number 1 para sa akin (If he's your president, that's okay. But as for me, this country has no Number 1, only Number 2)," she said.

Asked to rate Marcos’ performance as the country’s chief executive from 1 to 10 with 10 the highest, Dutere said, "One ang rating ko sa kaniya (My rating is 1).” She noted that Marcos seems to have no plans to address food security and inflation. 

“I don't ever remember may plataporma siya (that he has a platform). I don't ever remember him discussing kung anong gagawin sa problema ngayon (what should be done with the current problems),” she said.

"Nagkakausap lang kami dahil sa trabaho, hindi naman lahat ng katrabaho natin kaibigan natin, di ba?" the VP stressed when asked about her friendship with Marcos. She said she just tolerated the "toxic" environment and just focused on her job. 

Duterte also said that she has a list of the impeachable offenses done by the President.

 "Si BBM, may listahan ako ng limang bagay na may limang impeachable offense na... pero sa tingin niyo papasa diyan sa House, of course hindi," said Duterte. 

(I have a list of the five impeachable offenses of BBM but do you think it will pass in the House? Of course not.)

Malacañang refused to comment on the remarks made by the Vice President.

''No statement from OP (Office of the President),'' Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Cesar Chavez briefly told Palace reporters.

Imee

During the press conference, Duterte narrated in detail how she ended up as Marcos running-mate in the 2022 elections.

According to her, it was Sen. Imee Marcos, the President's sister, who asked her to run for vice president in order for them to form a formidable team against then-Vice President Leni Robredo, seen as Marcos' strongest contender for the presidency in 2022.

Duterte said Sen. Marcos asked her to run for vice president so that they would have strong support from the Visayas.

"Kasi matatalo kami ni Leni if di namin madala ang Bisaya," Duterte quoted Sen. Marcos as saying during their conversation, which she said took place in late 2021.

“It’s all about winning,” she said. 

Duterte said she could not help but felt used by Marcos. “Yes, clear naman ‘yun. Of course, ginamit lang nila ako para manalo sila (That's clear. They just used me to win).”

Still, Duterte said she have no regrets on running as VP. 

“Hindi ko pinagsisisihan ang pagtakbo ko as vice president. Hindi ko rin pinagsisisihan na nakipag-tandem ako sa kanya (Marcos). I'm sure may rason ang Diyos kung bakit ako nilagay sa upuan na ito sa ilalim ng (OVP) seal,” she said, noting that she was very rational in her decision-making process. 

(I did not regret my decision to run as vice president. I also did not regret being in a tandem with him. I am sure God has a reason for putting me here.)

“Sabi ko okay lang sa akin tumakbo na VP. Number 1, ma-reduce ang disappointment ng tao sa hindi ko pagtakbo as president. Ito na lang i-offer ko sakanila,” she added. 

(I said it's OK for me to run as VP. Number 1, it will reduce the people's disappointment that I did not run for president. This is what I can offer to them.)

Romualdez

Also during Duterte's press conference, she mentioned that Speaker Martin Romualdez, Marcos' cousin, engaged in bribery with a foreign national during the campaign period. 

"May red flag din yang si Martin. Magkatabi kami sa airplane nung kampanya. May nakita ako from another country na tumanggap ng suhol," she said, calling the lawmaker and "embarrassment" to the global stage.

(There's also a red flag on Martin. We were seated together in an airplane during the campaign period and I saw him receiving bribe from another country.)

"Imagine, meron tayong speaker na — on record, in another country — tumanggap ng suhol. Nakakahiya," she said. 

(Imagine, we have a speaker who — on record, in another country — received bribe money.)

She also said Romualdez has been eyeing for the presidency.

GMA News Online has reached out to Romualdez's office for his comment but no response has been given yet as of posting time.

The vice president said she will discuss the issues further in the next press conference.

DepEd funds

Meanwhile, Duterte also tackled DepEd's use of certifications from military officials to justify the disbursement of P15 million of its confidential funds for payment of informants in 2023 when she was still head of the department. 

DepEd's justification for spending P15 million of its confidential funds was based on OVP’s documentary submissions to the Commission on Audit (COA) that stated that such expense was for the Youth Leadership Summit (YLS). 

It was also the COA that provided a copy of the DepEd's justification to the House good government and public accountability panel, which is investigating OVP's budget use, during a hearing on Thursday.

"Ginamit siya sa supporting information doon sa areas kung saan may nakuhang reports na at risk ang mga bata," she said. 

(It was used as supporting information in areas where there were reports of children at risk.)

Tantrums

In separate statements, members of the House said the Vice President  was trying to evade accountability over her office’s wasteful budget use.

House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas said the “tell-all interview” on her relationship with the Marcos family has nothing to do with being accountable to the public that elected her.

“Vice President Duterte's reluctance to face these corruption allegations head-on, coupled with her theatrics, is a desperate bid to save face. We demand transparency and accountability from our leaders, especially in light of the severe implications of corruption that manifest in widespread poverty, hunger, and economic crisis affecting Filipinos every day,” Brosas said.

“Wag na maghugas kamay, dahil pare-pareho lang naman kayo,” Brosas added.

(Don’t wash your hands off because all of you are the same.)

Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales said, “It’s Vice President Duterte, not President Marcos, who has failed as a leader. She mismanaged public funds and let the Department of Education (DepEd) fall apart under her watch."

“The country’s disastrous performance in the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) showing a five- to six-year lag in learning competencies, is a direct result of her failed leadership,” he added.

Akbayan party-list Representative Perci Cendaña said such a tantrum from the Vice President is a mere diversionary tactic amid revelations of her office’s inefficient budget use, including that of confidential funds.

“No amount of theatrics can shield them from accountability. She has been silent while our fishers faced harassment and our sovereignty was threatened. Now, in a desperate attempt to deflect, she suddenly brings up the West Philippine Sea (WPS),” Cendaña said, referring to Vice President Duterte’s remark that if the Marcos family goes after her, she will dig the grave of late President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. and throw it to the WPS.

“Ngayon na nga lang nagsalita si Vice President Sara sa West Philippine Sea, ginamit pang patutsada sa mga kalaban,” Cendaña added.—with a report from Anna Felicia Bajo/Llanesca Panti/KBK/AOL, GMA Integrated News