VP Sara: Dutertes are not PH's problem

Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday once again criticized the Marcos administration for its supposed political attacks, emphasizing that she and her family are not the problem in the country. 

In her speech during the miting de avance of PDP Laban’s senatorial candidates, Duterte said that the country is witnessing a “systematic demolition job” against its political opponents.

Vice President Sara Duterte attends PDP Laban’s miting de avance at Liwasang Bonifacio. She criticizes the Marcos administration for its “attacks” on her family: “Hindi ako ang problema ng Pilipinas. Hindi Duterte ang problema ng Pilipinas.” @gmanews pic.twitter.com/rnb7NC6XuB

— Giselle Ombay (@giselleombay_) May 8, 2025

“In the past months, my name and my family’s name have been dragged through the mud. I have repeatedly said this before, and I will say it again now—I am not the problem of this country. Hindi ako ang problema ng Pilipinas. Hindi Duterte ang problema ng Pilipinas [I and my family are not the problem of the Philippines],” she said. 

“Sino nga ba ang tunay na makikinabang kung tuluyan nang burahin sa mundong ito ang pamilyang Duterte? Hindi ang mga Pilipino. Lalo nang hindi makikinabang ang mga biktima ng krimen, mga walang trabaho, mga naghihirap, o maging ang mga nagugutom,” she added. 

(Who will really benefit if the Duterte family is gone from this world? Not the Filipinos, not the victims of crime, the unemployed, the poor, or even the hungry.) 

Without dropping names, Duterte lamented that the nation had elected a leader who has no ability to understand the plight of the people and is unable to make decisions for the welfare of the people.

She also pointed out that the country is currently led by someone who refuses to undergo a public hair follicle drug test and who “lied” about making the P20 per kilo of rice possible. 

She also hit the government for allowing the arrest of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, and his eventual transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

“Ngunit higit pa sa mga kabiguang ito ay isang mas malalim na pambabastos at pang-iinsulto. Iniinsulto nila ang Pilipino sa paggamit ng ayuda upang bilhin ang boto niyo. Ang ayuda ay hindi naman likas na masama. Sa katunayan, marami ang natulungan noong panahon ng pandemya. Ngunit kapag ginamit ito para manipulahin kayo at pagsamantalahan ang inyong kahirapan upang manatili sila sa kapangyarihan—nagiging sandata ito ng pang-aabuso,” the Vice President said. 

(Above all, they insult the Filipinos by using financial aid to buy your vote. This ayuda is not really bad. In fact, it helped a lot of people during the pandemic. But when it is being used to manipulate you and exploit your poverty so they can stay in power, it becomes a weapon of abuse.) 

Sara Duterte also reiterated that the Filipinos deserve better, stressing that they should also attain real peace and prosperity that not only the rich and certain politicians benefit from. 

GMA News Online sought Malacañang's comment through Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, and will update this story once she responds. 

Election fraud?

Furthermore, the Vice President hit at the administration ticket Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas—the top contenders of PDP Laban, a political party chaired by Rodrigo Duterte himself. 

VP Sara raised concerns about an alleged “election fraud” that may happen in the May 12 national and local elections. 

“May mga ulat at bulong-bulungan na may mga kumikilos na sa iba’t-ibang parte ng ating bansa—mga babala na maaaring nagsisimula na ang malawakang dayaan sa halalan ng Alyansa,” she said. 

(There are reports and rumors that there are already moves in different parts of our country about a widespread election fraud initiated by the Alyansa.) 

“Ang binuong alyansa ay isang mapanganib na pagsasanib puwersa ng isang administrasyong walang kakayahan, mga elitistang liberal, at mga tinagurinang Makabayan na ang tunay na hangarin ay manatiling mahirap ang taumbayan. Isang alyansa na handang ibalik tayo sa kadiliman ng narco politics, sa bangungot ng Typhoon Yolanda—kung saan ang mga Pilipino ay iniwan sa ulan, sa gutom, at sa kawalang malasakit. Ito ang alyansang muling nais tayong alipinin—gamit ang kahirapan, kasinungalingan, at kapangyarihan,” she added. 

(The Alyansa that was formed is a dangerous coalition of an incompetent administration, liberal elitists, and the Makabayan whose desire is to keep the people poor. This is an alliance that is ready to take us back to the darkness of narco politics, to the nightmare of Typhoon Yolanda—where Filipinos were left under the rain, while hungry and uncared for. This is an alliance that wants to enslave us again—using poverty, lies, and power.) 

Four days before the elections, Sara Duterte urged supporters to vote with courage and dignity, and show that “no amount of vote-buying or cheating can suppress the fury burning in our hearts.”

GMA News Online also messaged Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas' campaign manager and Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco for a comment but he has yet to respond as of posting time.—LDF, GMA Integrated News

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