VP Sara Duterte 'not afraid' to lose post amid impeachment battle

Vice President Sara Duterte said she is unbothered by the possibility of losing her post amid ongoing impeachment efforts.

Speaking before supporters and members of the Filipino community in the Netherlands, Duterte said she could continue helping Filipinos even outside government service, while also criticizing the administration’s priorities, corruption, and handling of the economy.

She noted that she never sought the presidency and was prepared whether she remained vice president or not.

“Kung manatili akong Vice President, well and good… Kung hindi man din ako maging Vice President, okay lang din sa akin (If I remain Vice President, well and good… If I will no longer be a Vice President, that is also okay with me),” Duterte said, adding that she could still help people in another capacity.

The Duterte said she is not desperate to hold onto the position recalling that after serving as Davao City mayor, she also stepped away from politics and continued helping people through legal work.

“Hindi ako gigil ba doon sa posisyon kasi, kahit anong posisyon naman kung gusto mo talagang tumulong sa mga tao pwede naman ‘yun (I am not obsessed with the position because regardless of the position, if you truly want to help people, you can do so),” she said.

Duterte made the remarks as the House of Representatives proceed with the impeachment complaints against her. She questioned whether the efforts against her were truly about accountability or political removal.

“Is this accountability or is this about removing a person who doesn't agree with the administration?” she said.

She also dismissed claims that lawmakers were supporting impeachment because they feared she would retaliate politically if she remained influential.

“Hindi ako kilalang tao na… vindictive (I am not known as a vindictive person),” Duterte said, noting that even during intense political rivalries in Davao, she was never known for political revenge.

The Vice President further argued that impeachment complaints against her lacked evidence and were largely based on unsupported allegations.

Gov’t priorities, economic hardship

A large part of the interview centered on Duterte’s criticism of what she described as the government’s misplaced priorities while Filipinos grapple with rising prices, poverty, and economic uncertainty.

Responding to questions from overseas Filipino workers, Duterte said government leaders should focus first on the daily survival of struggling families.

“Dapat nauuna ngayon ang isipin ng pamahalaan ay paano ‘yung pambili ng pagkain araw-araw ng mga pamilya na naghihirap (The government should first think about how struggling families can afford food every day),” she said.

She particularly pointed to families living on a day-to-day income.

“Kung may kita sila ngayon, may pagkain. Kung walang kita ngayon, walang pagkain (If they earn today, they eat. If they do not earn today, they do not eat),” Duterte said.

She also questioned reports of alleged political spending tied to impeachment efforts, saying public funds would be better spent helping struggling Filipinos cope with inflation and the rising cost of living.

At the same time, she warned against relying too heavily on government dole-outs.

“Hindi naman dapat kasi talaga solusyon sa problema ng poverty is ayuda (Aid should not really be the solution to poverty),” Duterte said, although she added that there is still hope for the country to recover economically.

She acknowledged the frustrations of many Filipinos exhausted by economic hardship and what she described as a lack of direction in governance.

“Nakikisa ako sa kanila sa kapaguran dahil sa kawalan ng direksyon ng gobyerno natin (I share in their exhaustion because of the lack of direction of our government),” she said.

Corruption, investor confidence

Duterte also took note of the country’s investment climate, claiming corruption and weak competitiveness continued to discourage investors from choosing the Philippines over neighboring Southeast Asian countries.

She said countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia were more attractive to investors because of what she described as more business-friendly policies and governance systems.

“Ang levels ng corruption is from the Office of the President hanggang doon sa barangay (The levels of corruption run from the Office of the President down to the barangay level),” Duterte alleged.

She further claimed that investor confidence had worsened in recent years because of corruption.

No laptop-throwing incident

The Vice President also addressed online allegations claiming she threw a laptop at one of her staff members, dismissing the accusation as fabricated gossip.

“Basura siya na chismis (It is garbage gossip),” Duterte said.

She said she does not even regularly use laptops for work and joked that she would not throw her personal laptop because it was expensive and bought with her own money.

Duterte claimed such narratives were part of broader efforts to portray her as unstable, incompetent, or corrupt.

Talk with ex-Pres Duterte

The Vice President said she was able to talk with her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and their conversation centered on faith, God, and the universe.

"He's not joyous. He's not sad. Siguro because of the quiet reflection about God and the universe and whether or not merong Diyos o wala. Medyo, subdued, yan. That's the term," she added. —AOL, GMA News