Palace on Sara Duterte's 2028 presidential bid: Good luck

''Good luck.'' 

This was the response of Malacañang to the announcement of Vice President Sara Duterte that she would run for president in the 2028 national polls. 

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said in a briefing that President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. heard the statements of the Vice President.

''Nadinig niya po, at ang sabi niya po ay 'good luck,' 'yun lamang po at nadinig niya po ang mga sinabing pinagsisisihan at humihingi ng kapatawaran itong si Bise Presidente,'' Castro said.

(He heard it and he said, 'good luck,' that's what he said and he also heard the remarks of the Vice President seeking forgiveness.) 

Duterte earlier announced that she would run for president in the 2028 national elections. 

"Ako si Sara Duterte tatakbo bilang pangulo ng Pilipinas," Duterte said in press conference early Wednesday.

(I am Sara Duterte, I will run for president of the Philippines) 

Asked if the Palace considers Duterte as a strong candidate for the post, Castro said this would depend on how the public will perceive the candidates.

''Wala pong nararamdaman ang Palasyo patungkol diyan, depende na po sa tao kung papaano nila susuriin ang mga kandidato. Isipin po nila na ang mga kandidato ay dapat na makabayan, dapat interes ng bayan ang sinusulong, at maging cautious tayo, maging mapanuri kung isang Manchurian candidate ba ang maiboboto niyo,'' Castro said. 

(The Palace does not feel anything about it. That depends on how the public will perceive their candidates. They should support candidates who are patriotic and those who are pushing for the welfare of the country. We should be cautious if we're supporting a Manchurian candidate.)

Before the press conference, Duterte ordered the removal of the logo of the Office of the Vice President in the podium. She did not answer any questions from reporters after her speech. 

'Sorry'

Duterte asked for forgiveness from the public as she took full responsibility for her political decisions and acknowledged public frustration over national issues. She also "apologized" for helping Marcos win the 2022 national elections.

In response to this, Castro said Duterte should not take the sole credit for Marcos' victory, noting that it was the Filipino people who elected him to power.

''Humingi siya ng kapatawaran dahil tinulungan niya sa pangangampanya? Tandaan po natin, ang taumbayan ang naghalal kay Pangulong Marcos Jr. Kung ano man po ang naitulong niya, pareho naman po silang nagtulungan dahil ito naman po ay UniTeam kaya wag niya pong solohin ang credit kung nanalo man ang Pangulo,'' she said. 

(Let's remember that it's the Filipino people who elected President Marcos Jr. They both helped each other since it was UniTeam so she shouldn't take the credit for the President's victory.) 

Duterte also said that she stepped down from her Cabinet post after deciding she could not support what she described as a 2025 national budget “tainted with corruption.” 

Castro, for her part, said Duterte should also be sorry for the issues of corruption in her office, particularly the alleged misuse of the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. 

''Pinaguusapan po ba ang korapsyon, ang katiwalian? Siguro po dapat mauna muna na ihingi niya ng tawad kung ano man ang mga isyu ng korapsyon at katiwalian at diumano'y paglulustay ng confidential funds ng kanyang dalawang opisina at that time, OVP at DepEd,'' Castro said.

(She should have asked first for forgiveness for the corruption and anomalies over the alleged misuse of the confidential funds of the OVP and the DepEd.) 

Forgiveness

Further, the Palace official also hit back at Duterte for blaming the Marcos administration over continuous floodings, noting that if indeed the government of former President Rodrigo Duterte had no ghost flood control projects, the public will not suffer from floods. 

''Huwag niyang ipahid lamang sa Pangulo ang sinasabing pagbabaha dahil kung mayroon pong naganap na mga Build, Build, Build, at kung talagang walang ghost projects ang nangyaring administrasyon, hindi natin mararanasan ang ganitong pagbabaha,'' she said. 

(She shouldn't blame the President over these floods because if there were no ghost projects during the time of the previous administration, we won't experienced these floods.) 

Castro also said Duterte should instead ask for forgiveness from the victims of extrajudicial killings as well as for her statement ordering the killing of Marcos, First Lady Louise ''Liza'' Araneta-Marcos and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

''Mas dapat niyang inunang humingi ng tawad sa taumbayan lalong-lalo na sa mga biktima ng EJKs. Dapat niya rin pong ihingi ng tawad at nakalimutan niya nang siya ay nagsabing may kilala siyang assassin at handa siyang magpapapatay at ang assassin na ito ay nagagree at sumangayon sa kanyang plano,'' she said. 

(She should have asked first for forgiveness to the victims of EJKs and over her remarks that she knows an assassin who agreed to her plan to kill.) 

Duterte should also be sorry for spreading fake news and for her personal trips abroad, according to Castro. 

She added that Duterte should be sorry as well for admitting that she had no knowledge about the education sector despite being named as Education chief at the start of the Marcos administration. 

For Castro, Duterte is a mere politician and not a statesman who thinks of the welfare of the next generation. 

''Isa siyang maituturing na politician, politician na ang iniisip ay ang susunod na eleksyon, ang iniisip ay 'yung pansariling interes. Hindi ang taumbayan,'' Castro said. 

(She's a politician who only thinks of the next elections and her own interest, not the welfare of the public.)

Meanwhile, Castro said there are no talks yet on whether the administration would form an alliance with the opposition to counter the candidacy of Duterte in the 2028 polls.

—VAL, GMA Integrated News