VP Sara: I won’t ask Marcos help for interim release of ex-Pres. Duterte

Vice President Sara Duterte said Wednesday she will not seek help from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the interim release of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Hindi ko kakausapin si BBM para kay dating Pangulong Duterte dahil ang sa akin is 'yung ginawa nila na kidnapping ng isang Pilipino sa loob, government kidnapping ng isang Pilipino sa loob ng ating bansa,” Duterte told reporters, referring to the transfer of her father to the International Criminal Court.

(I will not talk to President Marcos for former President Duterte because, for me, what they did was the kidnapping of a Filipino within our own country — a government kidnapping.)

The Vice President said she could no longer undo the decision made by Marcos, describing it as an irreversible act.

“There’s no going back sa ganoon. Ito 'yung assurance na inaprubahan niya na hindi niya dapat ginawa bilang isang Pangulo,” she said.

(There’s no going back from that. This was the assurance he approved, which he should not have done as President.)

While acknowledging that her father’s case is now a family matter, Duterte made clear she would not make any personal appeal to the President.

“Kung anuman 'yung legal problem ni dating Pangulong Duterte ngayon ay problema niya at siyempre ng pamilya namin dahil ama namin siya. Pero for me to go to him and request on behalf of former President Duterte, no,” she said.

(Whatever legal problems former President Duterte is facing are his and, of course, our family’s concern because he is our father. But for me to go to President Marcos and make a request on his behalf—no.)

The former president is currently detained in The Hague in connection with the ICC’s investigation into his administration’s anti-drug campaign.

The ICC has rejected the request of former President Duterte's defense counsel to grant him interim release.

Vice President Duterte confirmed that her younger sisters, Veronica and Mira, are preparing to spend Christmas and New Year with their father in The Hague.

She also admitted that the former president has been struggling emotionally since his detention.

“Malungkot siya sa nangyayari sa bayan. Frustrated siya kasi hindi siya makatulong… gusto siya tumulong hindi siya makatulong sa nangyayari na corruption sa administration,” Duterte shared.

(He is sad about what’s happening in the country. He’s frustrated because he wants to help but cannot, especially with the corruption happening in the administration.)

Asked about allegations of corruption in her father’s administration, Duterte said critics should not be selective in their accusations.

“Kasama na rin 'yung iskandalo sa corruption sa administration ni Pangulong Marcos. So huwag silang selective, huwag silang Duterte nang Duterte lang kasi kung totoong corruption ang pinag-uusapan natin hindi naman kahapon lang ang corruption,” she said.

(Include also the scandals of corruption in President Marcos’ administration. They should not be selective, not just keep saying Duterte, Duterte—because if we’re really talking about corruption, it did not start just yesterday.)

She added that corruption has long been a national problem that has only worsened in recent years.

“Ngayon lang siya lumaki ng ganito kagrabe na nasira ang ating bansa,” she said.

(It’s only now that it has grown this bad, to the point that our country has been damaged.)

Duterte also challenged investigators to look into all cases fairly, including those involving allies of the current administration.

“Halungkatin niya nang halungkatin lahat sa akin. Pero huwag lang siya maging selective. Halungkatin niya din 'yung mabilisan na pag-dismiss ng kaso ng drugs case ng anak niya at 'yung iba pang mga kaso at posibleng kaso ng mga kaalyado nila,” she said.

(They should dig into everything about me—but they should not be selective. They should also look into the swift dismissal of the drug case involving his son and other possible cases of his allies.)

She described the administration’s anti-corruption rhetoric as “political scapegoating,” saying it diverts attention from its own lack of accomplishments.

“Ang ginagawa nila ay inaatake nila 'yung kalaban nila sa politika para doon nakatutok 'yung attention ng mga tao at tuloy-tuloy lang 'yung kawalan ng accomplishments ng gobyerno at tuloy-tuloy lang 'yung kanilang corruption sa budget. So ang term po diyan ay political scapegoating,” the Vice President added.

(What they do is attack their political opponents so that people’s attention is diverted, and their government’s lack of accomplishments and continuing corruption in the budget remain unnoticed. The term for that is political scapegoating.) —AOL, GMA Integrated News