Sara Duterte: I don't want to overthrow Marcos admin

Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday said that she has no intention of overthrowing the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., stressing she took an oath to preserve and defend the Constitution.

“Wala sa aking mga kamay ang pagsasagawa ng extra constitutional means to overthrow the current administration. At hindi ko din gusto ‘yun. Hindi ko gusto agawin ‘yung posisyon ni Bongbong Marcos,” she said in an interview in Davao City.

(So it is not in my hands to carry out extra constitutional means to overthrow the current administration. And I don't want that either. I don't want to take over the position of Bongbong Marcos.)

Duterte, meanwhile, explained why she has been critical about the current administration.

“Gusto ko makita ng taong bayan hanggang sa dulo kung gaano ka walang hiya si BBM,” she added.

(I want the people to see to the end how shameless BBM is.)

GMA News Online is trying to reach out to the Palace for comment, but it has yet to reply as of posting time.

In her 128th Independence Day message, Duterte also told the public that Philippine sovereignty could be lost not only to foreign invaders but also every time public service becomes a private enterprise.

“Ang kalayaan natin at ang soberanya natin, hindi siya nawawala sa mga foreign invaders lamang. Hindi siya sa pagsakop lamang ng mga foreign invaders. Nawawala din siya kapag ‘yung mga matataas na opisyal ng ating pamahalaan, kasama na ang Pangulo, ay mala sindikato sa pagnanakaw ng pera ng bayan,” she said.

(Our freedom and our sovereignty could not only be lost only to foreign invaders. It could also be lost when the high officials of our government, including the President, is like a syndicate stealing the people's money.)

“Every peso that is stolen is pagkawala ng dignidad ng bawat (is a loss to the dignity of the) people,” she continued.

Duterte also emphasized that corruption is not merely just about stealing money, as it also steals opportunity, dignity, hope, and even freedom.

The House of Representatives, meanwhile, has impeached Duterte for the second straight year on allegations of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery, and other high crimes. —VAL, GMA News