Sara Duterte says she’s the target of ‘Totoong Narco List’ videos

GINGOOG, Misamis Oriental —Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte believes she's the target of the series of online videos linking members of President Rodrigo Duterte's family to illegal drugs.

Sara, Duterte's daughter and campaign manager of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago senatorial slate, made the remark after a second video accused her teenage sister Veronica and the President’s partner Honeylet Avanceña of receiving payoffs from the illegal drug trade and depositing such transactions in banks in Hong Kong.

The first episode linked Paolo Duterte, Duterte's eldest son, to the drug trade by claiming that the resigned Davao City vice mayor allegedly received P20 million a month through a dummy bank account under the name of Waldo Carpio, brother of Sara’s husband, Manases Carpio.

"He's already the President. The only way to remove him it's through impeachment. Ang mga taong binabanggit nila roon: my brother who is connected to me, my sister who is connected to me, an associate lawyer who is connected to me, my brother-in-law who is connected to me," Sara said.

"In their next episode, it is my husband who is connected to me. So it's not the President,” Sara told reporters after campaigning for the administration candidates here.

The associate Sara was referring to is Elijah Pepito, an associate of Carpio and Duterte lawyers which is a law firm that she and her husband Manases established in 2008.

The narrator in the video alleged that Pepito was also being used as a dummy to hide Honeylet and Veronica’s money sourced from the illegal drug trade.

Asked if she was the target of the videos, Sara said, “‘Yun ang nakikita ko kasi bakit mo naman ilalabas ‘yun against a President. Dapat nilabas mo ‘yun nung tumatakbo siya noong 2016, when he was not President."

"Ngayon, the only way to remove a sitting president is through impeachment... and of course, patayin mo,” Sara said.

She also said those behind the video should file charges.

“Yes [they should file charges]. Ako naman, sa lahat ng mga accusations, ready akong sumagot. Ang gusto ko lang, it is in the proper forum kung meron i-file na case sa Ombudsman or merong i-file na case sa mga courts. Since 2010 ‘yung data na sinasabi nilang meron sila, but it's now 2019. Bakit ngayon lang lumabas?” Sara, a lawyer, told reporters.

Administration Senate bets echoed this sentiment.

“These are all accusations. Mag file sila ng kaso kung meron silang ebidensiya. Eh wala naman. Sisirain mo yung tao, sige lang kayong ngakngak riyan. Puro kayo salita, wala kayong gawa. Gawin niyo ang dapat niyong gawin,” former Philippine National Police Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said.

“Halata na scripted; ginagawang melodramatic. That is bullshit. Wala silang ebidensiyang makuha [kaya] hanggang dun na lang sila, ginagamit nila ang media para makapanira sila,” dela Rosa added.

Senator JV Ejercito, on the other hand, argued that making accusations of crimes committed without going to court speaks of questionable motive.

“Kung walang filing of cases as a result of the allegations made, we know that it is only for political purposes. If they have enough basis, why not file charges?” Ejercito added.

Sara, for her part, said that she was unfazed by such videos accusing her family members of committing crimes because the truth is on their side.

“Hindi naman ako bothered,  Ma'am, kasi alam ko naman na hindi totoo. It’s just that they cannot get to me,” Sara said.

“Ako lumaki ako sa politics. My father has been mayor of Davao City since 1987. These [moves on us] are not new, especially kapag election season. Sanay na kami and the best thing to do is ignore it,” she added.

Duterte himself has said that the political future of the family was dependent on Sara. —NB, GMA News