VP Duterte, lawyer deny laptop-throwing incident

Vice President Sara Duterte denied reports that she threw a laptop at a member of her defense team, lawyer Michael Poa.

In Marisol Abdurahman’s report on “24 Oras” on Thursday, Duterte responded to talk circulating on social media that she allegedly hurled a laptop at Poa, the defense team’s spokesperson in the impeachment complaint against her.

“Actually, sa totoo lang, masyado na siyang basura ba, na gossip na hindi na siya dapat pinapansin,” she said in an interview in The Hague.

(Actually, to be frank about it, it’s too trashy, it’s gossip that should not be dignified.)

“Never in the history sa aking trabaho ako nagtapon ng laptop sa isang colleague or sa isang empleyado or sa isang abogado,” the Vice President added.

(Never in the history of my work did I throw a laptop at a colleague or an employee or a lawyer.)

Duterte – a former Education Secretary – said she does not know how to use a laptop or a computer.

“Sa lahat ng mga documents, nire-rely ko lang ‘yan sa kasamahan sa opisina,” she said.

(In all documents, I just relied on my officemates.)

“Sunod ay, ‘yung laptop ko, personal ko siya na laptop. Binili ko siya, mahal siya, and hindi ko siya itatapon basta-basta,” the Vice President added.

(Secondly, my laptop is my personal laptop. I bought it, it is expensive, and I won’t just throw it just like that.)

Poa similarly denied that Duterte threw a laptop at him, saying it is “fake news” and “completely false.”

Meanwhile, the Vice President also spoke up on how she is being depicted by her critics in social media.

“Parang ano ba ang gusto nilang ipalabas ng naratiba? Baliw ako, ano pa ba? Bobo ako, pro-China ako,” she said, adding: “Incompetent, lumabas din yan sa kanila.”

(What else do they want to include in their narrative? That I’m crazy, stupid, I’m pro-China… Incompetent, that also came out.)

“Dati nagsasabi sila brat ako, pero ewan ko tumitigil na sila ngayon… Baliw nga, unstable, ‘yun ‘yung sinasabi ko basura na siya. Pero siyempre dahil nako-consume siya sa social media para paburan ‘yung narrative na gusto ng kalaban. ‘Ayun pala, corrupt, magnanakaw.”

(They used to say I’m a brat, but they’ve stopped… Crazy, unstable. That’s what I am saying, that’s trash. But since it is consumed through social media to favor the narrative being peddled by my enemies. That I’m corrupt, a thief.)

As to the ongoing impeachment complaint, Duterte asked: “Is this accountability or is this about removing a person who doesn’t agree with the administration?”

She added that she does not want to be President and this is why she did not run for the highest post in the land in the 2022 elections.

“So para sa akin, kung manatili akong Vice President, well and good. Mas marami pa akong matutulungan through the Office of The Vice President. Kung hindi man din ako maging Vice President, okay lang din sa akin. So, makakatulong pa rin ako sa mga tao sa ibang capacity na, sa ibang pamamaraan,” she said.

(For me, if I remain as Vice President, well and good. I would be able to help more people through the Office of the Vice President. If I didn’t end up as Vice President, that’s also okay with me. I could still help a lot of people in a different capacity, in other ways.) — JMA, GMA News