Vic Rodriguez explains fallout with Marcos: ‘Hindi ko masikmura ang korapsyon’

Senatorial aspirant Atty. Vic Rodriguez shed light on his rift with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., whom he served as executive secretary and spokesperson during the 2022 elections.

During the “Tanong ng Bayan: The GMA Senatorial Face Off 2025,” Rodriguez was asked by veteran journalist Emil Sumangil to explain the real reason why he had a fallout with the President.

“Hindi ko masikmura ang korupsyon kung kaya't ako ay umalis ng Malacañang. Ako ay binigyan pa ng isang posisyon, ang Presidential Chief of Staff, subalit hindi ko na gusto ‘yung direksyon na kanilang tinatahak. Kaya sabi ko, ayoko na at ako'y babalik na lang sa pribado,” Rodriguez answered.

(I could not stomach the corruption, that's why I left Malacañang. I was given one more position, the Presidential Chief of Staff, but I no longer liked the direction they were taking. So I said, I don't want to do it anymore and I'd just go back to private life.)

“Pangalawa doon sa Partido Federal, kaya nila ako tinanggal sa pagkasasama ng loob nila. Gusto nila, hinihingi nila sa akin, nung ako'y Executive Secretary, na gawin ko silang chairman ng Comelec, gawin ko silang chairman ng PAGCOR, gawin ko silang chairman ng PCSO, at gawin ko silang chairman ng Civil Service Commission. Hindi sila kwalipikado at alam ko ang nais lamang nila ay magnakaw kaya hinindihan ko ‘yan kanya sila nagalit sa akin,” he added.

(Regarding the Partido Federal, they fired me out of spite. What they wanted before when I was the Executive Secretary is to make them chairman of Comelec, PAGCOR, PCSO, and even of the Civil Service Commission. They are not qualified and I know all they want is to steal money, so I told them no, and they got angry at me.)

In September 2022, Rodriguez announced that he stepped down as Executive Secretary, nearly three months after Marcos was inaugurated president. Rodriguez, back then, said that he wanted to prioritize time with his family.

He also previously served as Marcos' campaign spokesperson and chief of staff.

Things took a turn for the worse since his resignation from Marcos’ Cabinet, as the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), the political party of the President, expelled Rodriguez from its ranks in November 2022.

The PFP said that Rodriguez was expelled for "incompetence as a public servant, conduct inimical to the interests of the party, abuse and breach of trust and confidence reposed on him by the President and the party, abandonment, and disloyalty."

Came January 2025, Rodriguez, along with Davao City 3rd District Representative Isidro Ungab and others, asked the Supreme Court to declare the 2025 national budget as unconstitutional amid alleged irregularities and supposed blank items in the bicameral conference committee report.

Marcos has repeatedly said that there were no blank pages in the bicameral conference committee report on the 2025 budget.

During the debates, Rodriguez said that the alleged blank parts could be considered a criminal offense.

“Pag-usapan natin ‘yung blanko na daang bilyong pisong bicameral conference committee report na siyang naging pundasyon ng GAA (General Appropriations Act). Ito ay blanko. This is criminal. This is violation of Article 170 of the Revised Penal Code, falsification of legislative document,” he said.

(Let’s talk about the blank pages in the bicameral conference committee report, amounting to hundred billion pesos, that became the foundation of the GAA. It is blank. This is criminal. This is a violation of Article 170 of the Revised Penal Code or the falsification of legislative documents.)

He insisted that the 2025 GAA may have no blank pages, but the bicameral conference committee report on the 2025 national budget has.

With such issues, Rodriguez vowed to address alleged corruption in the government should he be elected senator in the 2025 midterm elections

“Kaya po tinanggap ang hamon na pamunuan ng tunay at maisog na oposisyon para labanan ang korapsyon. I have just mentioned…‘yung kalokohan dito sa 2025 budget. Ito'y punong-punong ng blanko, nakita ko ito, prinisinta namin ito at ito ang aking lalabanan sa Senado, ang korupsyon,” he said.

(I accepted the challenge to lead a true and brave opposition to fight corruption. I have just mentioned the discrepancies in the 2025 budget. This is full of blanks, I saw it, we presented it, and this is what I will fight in the Senate—corruption.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News

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