Sara Duterte says she’s used as ‘punching bag’ to hide gov’t corruption

A day after launching a tirade at President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.—in which she claimed to have spoken to someone to assassinate him if she is killed—Vice President Sara Duterte went on Facebook live Sunday night to challenge top government officials to take a drug test and to remind her followers they have a right to peaceful assembly.

In a live video on her social media page late Sunday evening, Duterte said her enemies were using her to hide their corruption.

“Wala na kayong mapuna sa akin. Pinagtatakpan ninyo ang mga kakulangan ng pamahalaan. Ako ang ginagawa ninyong punching bag para hindi napapansin, nakikita, naririnig ng mga tao ang kalokohan, ang korapsyon, at ang katiwalian na ginagawa sa gobyerno,” she said.

(You do not have anything to criticize me on anymore. You are covering up for the deficiencies of the government. I am being made the punching bag so that the nonsense and the corruption in the government is not noticed, seen, and heard.)

She also challenged government officials—including those in the Office of the President and Congress—to undergo drug tests.

“Magpa-drug test tayong lahat sa harap ng taongbayan. Dalawa lang ‘yan mga kababayan—ibigay namin ang mga pangako namin sa inyo noong nangangampanya kami, at ipapakita namin sa inyo na matino kami. Mapapa-drug test kaming lahat. Simulan namin sa Office of the Vice President,” she added.

(Let us all have a drug test in front of the public. Compatriots, just two things: we follow through on what we promised when we were campaigning, and we show you that we are sober. We will all have a drug test. We will start in the Office of the Vice President.)

Duterte also cited campaign promises made by Marcos, who was her running mate in 2022, such as the P20 per kilogram of rice goal that has yet to come into fruition.

Data from the Department of Agriculture (DA) show that prices of local commercial rice in Metro Manila range from P40.00 to P61.00 per kilogram, and imported commercial rice from P40.00 to P63.00 per kilogram as of November 20, 2024.

“Dapat po ‘pag ang politiko ay nag-promise na magbibigay ng P20 per kilo na bigas, dapat ay tinutupad ‘yun dahil binoto ka ng mga tao base sa mga sinabi mo, base sa mga kampanya mo,” Duterte said.

(When a politician promises P20 per kilo rice, this should be fulfilled because you were voted by the people based on what you said, based on your campaign.)

“Dapat binibigay ‘yan lahat kung anoman ang sinabi ng isang tao, ng isang politiko sa entablado, dapat nakikita ‘yan ng taongbayan at higit pa dapat ang nakikita natin,” she added.

(Whatever a person, a politician says on stage, these should all be given. These should be seen by the countrymen, and much more.)

In the same video, Duterte also said she tried to work, but the budget of the Department of Education (DepEd), which she led until she resigned as Education Secretary in June, was scrutinized by Congress.

“Mga kababayan, nararamdaman ko kung ano ‘yung matagal niyo nang nararamdaman. Sinubukan ko na magtrabaho, magtrabaho nang maayos sa Department of Education, dahil ‘yun naman ang aking pangako sa inyo, ginamit ko ang pangalan ko—Sara Duterte, Inday Sara Duterte,” she said.

(I feel what you have long been feeling. I tried to work, work hard in the Department of Education, because that is what I promised you, I used my name—Sara Duterte, Inday Sara Duterte.)

“Sabi ko sa inyo trabaho, edukasyon, mapayapang pamumuhay. Pero anong nangyari? Binastos ang budget ng Department of Education. Hindi ko na kailangan magbigay ng ebidensya. Makikita niyo sa GAA simula sa NEP, papunta sa GAB, papunta sa BiCam,” she added.

(I told you work, education, peaceful living. But what happened? They disparaged the budget of the Department of Education. I do not have to give evidence. You can see it in the GAA, starting with the NEP, going to the GAB, going to the BiCam.)

Duterte also thanked her supporters, some of whom held vigil at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City, where her chief of staff Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez is confined. 

Lopez had been cited in contempt by the House good government panel in relation to a letter sent by the OVP to the Commission on Audit (COA) asking it not to comply with a House panel’s subpoena to submit audit reports on the OVP and the Department of Education’s use of confidential funds.

“Gusto ko lang ipaalala sa ating mga kababayan na ayaw natin ng kaguluhan, na tayo ay may karapatan sa peaceful assembly at tayo ay may karapatan na magsalita kung ano ‘yung nararamdaman natin at gusto nating makita mula sa ating gobyerno. Ang gusto natin makita ay genuine public service,” she said.

(I just want to remind our countrymen that we do not want chaos, that we have a right to peaceful assembly, and that we have a right to speak what we feel and what we want to see from the government. What we want to see is genuine public service.) — BM, GMA Integrated News