Palace to VP Sara: Marcos admin inherited big debt of Duterte admin

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — Malacañang on Friday hit back at Vice President Sara Duterte for criticizing the country’s growing debt, saying the Marcos Jr. administration inherited a huge debt left by the administration of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said this in an ambush interview on the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Summit here.

“Kung meron tayong mga pagkakautang, ito ay normal naman sa ibang bansa para maibigay na tulong sa ating mga kababayan,” she told reporters in an ambush interview.

(If we have debts, that’s normal for all countries in order to provide assistance to their countrymen.)

“At tandaan po natin, lumaki ang utang hindi po sa panahon ngayon lamang. Lumaki ang utang dahil namana po ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. ang napakalaking utang na nakuha ni dating pangulong Duterte at ito ay napabayaan ‘di umano dahil sa mga pang-aabuso sa Pharmally at sa mga ghost projects noon ng Build, Build, Build,” she added.

(And let's remember, our debt did not just grow recently. The debt grew because President Marcos Jr. inherited the huge debt that former President Duterte acquired and this was neglected allegedly because of the abuses in Pharmally and the ghost projects of Build, Build, Build.)

Vice President Duterte, in an interview in The Hague, Netherlands, criticized the Marcos administration over unemployment and the country’s growing debt, saying the government was failing to focus on governance and was instead reacting to critics and political attacks.

Data recently released by the Bureau of the Treasury showed that the Philippines’ running debt balance ballooned to a new record high of P18.49 trillion at the end of March 2026. This was higher by 1.81% from P18.16 trillion at the end of February.

Duterte said this was expected “because the entire administration, especially the President, is not working.”

Castro, in response, emphasized that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.---who is currently in Cebu for this year’s ASEAN Summit—is working diligently unlike Duterte.

“Hindi niya alam ang nangyayari, kung ano ang tinatrabaho ng Pangulo. Kita ninyo naman po, kayo nandito ngayon for the ASEAN Summit, ang Pangulo po ay nagta-trabaho,” the Palace Press Officer said.

(She doesn't know what's going on, what the President is working on. As you all can see, those who are here today for the ASEAN Summit, the President is working.)

“Abalang-abala ang Pangulo sa ASEAN Summit. Ang mga concerned agencies at concerned departments ng ehekutibo ay nandito para magtrabaho. Samantalang ang Bise Presidente, nandoon po sa ibang bansa at nagbabakasyon. So, wala po siyang naitutulong ngayon sa ASEAN, at wala po siyang nagiging trabaho,” she added.

(The President is very busy with the ASEAN Summit. The concerned agencies and concerned departments of the executive are here to work. Meanwhile, the Vice President is abroad and on vacation. So, she is not helping with the ASEAN right now, and she is not getting any work done.) — RSJ, GMA News