Sara Duterte thanks OFWs for support: ‘Ang buong gobyerno iniwanan na ang OVP’

Following her impeachment by the House of Representatives, Vice President Sara Duterte on Sunday thanked Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) for their continued support to her and the Office of the Vice President (OVP) amid the challenges she is facing.

At a thanksgiving event with OFWs at Wan Chai in Hong Kong, Duterte said that she cannot leave her position as Vice President because of her supporters, many of whom are OFWs around the globe. 

“Salamat sa suporta ninyo sa akin, sa aking mga kasamahan, sa aming trabaho, sa programa at proyekto ng Office of the Vice President. Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat…dahil kayo lang sumusuporta sa OVP, ang buong gobyerno ay iniwanan na po ang OVP,” she said. 

(Thank you for supporting, my colleagues, our work, the programs and projects of the Office of the Vice President. Thank you very much to all of you…because you are the only ones supporting the OVP, while the entire government has abandoned the OVP.) 

To recall, the OVP was allocated a P733.1-million budget under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), a big cut from the originally proposed P2-billion budget.

With this, the OVP said it was expected to discontinue providing medical and burial assistance this year as no budget was approved for the program.

The House of Representatives later on impeached Duterte on February 5, with over 200 lawmakers endorsing the complaint. The tentative start of her impeachment trial is on July 30, 2025.

Duterte, for her part, has filed a Supreme Court petition challenging the validity and constitutionality of the fourth impeachment complaint against her.  

The Vice President also thanked the OFWs in Hong Kong for voting for her during the 2022 elections, teasing them for her supposed plans come 2028. 

“Personal ang pagpapasalamat ko sa inyong lahat sa tulong ninyo, sa kampanya ninyo, sa suporta ninyo para sa akin at sa boto ninyo noong nakaraang halalan nung 2022…At sa susunod na halalan sa 2028. Joke lang, joke,” she said, drawing uproar from the crowd at the event venue. 

(I personally thank all of you for your help, your campaign, your support for me and your vote in the 2022 elections…And in the next election in 2028. Just joking!) 

In January, Duterte disclosed that she was “seriously considering” running in the 2028 presidential elections. — RF, GMA Integrated News