Sara Duterte expresses concerns over inflation, peso, fuel prices, warns trolls

Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday expressed concern over inflation, peso depreciation, and high fuel prices in the country while suggesting more assistance to the most vulnerable sectors. She also warned against alleged troll farms being used to smear her image ahead of the 2028 national elections.

“Triple whammy ang nangyari sa atin: Sobrang taas na presyo ng fuel, krudo. Sobrang taas nu'ng palitan, exchange, dollar exchange. Sobrang taas nu'ng inflation,” Duterte said in an interview in The Hague, Netherlands.

(We had a triple whammy: The prices of fuel and crude oil were very high, the exchange rate or the dollar exchange rate is very high, the inflation is very high.)

Due to this, Duterte called on the administration to prioritize the most vulnerable sectors for food assistance and prevent them from resorting to crimes.

“Sa akin lang, kung hindi man kaya tulungan ng administrasyon ng gobyerno lahat, dapat tulungan nila 'yung mga pinaka nasa ilalim na hindi na talaga nila makaya kahit man lang 'yung simple pagbili ng pagkain,” she said.

(To me, if the government administration cannot help everyone, they should help those at the bottom who can no longer afford even the simple purchase of food.)

“Ang problema kasi, kapag 'yung mga walang-wala, wala din silang mapuntahan, wala silang recourse. Ang kinakatakutan natin, they will resort to crime and violence na ayaw natin na mangyari,” she added.

(The problem is that when those who have nothing, they have nowhere to go, they have no recourse. What we fear is that they will resort to crime and violence, which we don’t want to happen.)

Motorists will have to pay more for petroleum products this week, as retailers on Monday announced another round of price hikes to mark the second straight week of increases for gasoline.

In separate advisories, Petron Corp., Seaoil Philippines Corp. and Shell Pilipinas Corp. said effective Tuesday, they will hike prices per liter of gasoline by P2.21 and diesel by P2.66, while rolling back those of kerosene by P3.53.

Cleanfuel and Unioil Petroleum Philippines Inc. will implement the same changes, excluding kerosene which they do not carry.

The adjustments took effect at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

The Philippine peso once again slumped to a fresh record low during the intraday trading on Thursday, still due to hedging activities by importers amid expectations of stronger dollar due to the global oil price shock.

The local currency touched an intraday low of P61.75:$1, surpassing the historic low of P61.567:$1 on Wednesday’s closing, after opening weaker at P61.651:$1.

Meanwhile, inflation rate accelerated to its fastest in three years in April 2026 as higher global fuel prices brought about by the Middle East petroleum crisis spilled over to food, local petroleum, and utilities costs during the period.

At a press briefing Tuesday, National Statistician and PSA chief Claire Dennis Mapa said inflation — the rate of increase in the prices of goods and services — accelerated to 7.2% last month from 4.1% in March 2026 and 1.4% in April 2025.

This was the fastest inflation print since March 2023, when the inflation rate clocked in at 7.6%.

April’s inflation brought the year-to-date rate to 3.9%, still within the 2% to 4% comfortable ceiling set by the government for the entire 2026.

Troll farms

Duterte also warned the public against alleged “troll farms” and online operations that she said are being used to smear her image ahead of the 2028 national elections.

The vice president said Filipinos should be more discerning of information seen on social media.

“Particularly because puwedeng ma-manipulate ang information na lumalabas sa social media. Tulad na nga ng mga troll farms na naririnig din niyo. Totoo ‘yun na meron talagang negosyo na ganoon,” she said.

(Particularly because the information that comes out on social media can be manipulated. It’s like the troll farms that you’ve heard about. It’s true that there is a business like that.)

“Ganoon nga ‘yung objective niyan, para magpapalabas sila na, say for example, this is a popular sentiment or this is an unpopular sentiment, unfortunately sa social media,” she added.

(That’s the objective, to put out, say for example, this is a popular sentiment or this is an unpopular sentiment, unfortunately on social media.)

Duterte claimed that such efforts are part of political tactics to discredit opponents, especially as she is being viewed as a possible presidential contender in 2028.

“Sa politika ganyan talaga 'yan. Lalo pati sa 2028 presidential elections na alam naman natin na lahat na sabi ko nga presumptive candidate na ako,” she said.

(In politics, that's how it is. Especially in the 2028 presidential elections, when we all know that I'm a presumptive candidate.)

“Sabi nga ni [former president Rodrigo Duterte] noon, paulit-ulit 'yan sa Davao City, sabi niya ang style ng karamihan o maraming mga politiko ay you paint your enemy black so that you appear white. So that kapag mukha siyang madumi, mukha kang malinis kahit hindi naman totoo ikaw na malinis,” she added.

(Former president Rodrigo Duterte said it before, repeatedly in Davao City, he said the style of most or many politicians is you paint your enemy black so that you appear white. So that when they look dirty, you look clean even though it's not true that you're clean.)

In February, Duterte announced that she will run for president in the 2028 national elections.

Senator Raffy Tulfo tied with Duterte at 46 percentage points in a Pulse Asia presidential preference poll that pitted the two officials against each other from February 27 to March 2.

Results of a similar question that matched Duterte with Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo showed the Vice President leading her predecessor, 51 to 43. —KG, GMA News