VICE President Sara Duterte said on Friday, October 18, 2024, that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. does not know how to do his job as the country’s top leader.
“Hindi ko kasalanan that we’re on this road to hell. Hindi marunong maging Presidente ang nakaupo,” Duterte said in a lengthy press conference.
(It is not my fault that we’re on this road to hell. The one sitting doesn’t know how to be a President.)
“I don’t ever remember may platform siya na sinabi kung anong gagawin niya para sa bansang ito. [Hindi] niya sinabi ano gagawin natin sa food security, wala siyang sinabi na ano gagawin natin sa inflation kasi alam naman natin darating yun kasi nafo-forecast naman siya,” she added.
(I don’t ever remember if he has a platform that states what he is going to do with this country. He never mentioned how we should address food security. He never mentioned what he will do with the inflation because we all know that we will reach this point because there were already forecasts.)
She said she is rating Marcos’ performance one over 10.
“Kaya nga umalis ako sa admin. Hindi ko gusto naririnig ko, nakikita ko doon (that’s why I left the administration. I don’t like what I am hearing, seeing there),” said Duterte.
“Kung Presidente niyo siya, okay lang. Ako, hanggang number two lang itong bansa na ito, wala itong number one para sa akin (If he’s your president, that’s fine. For me, this country only has no number one, only number two),” she added.
Duterte held the press conference to respond to the pronouncement of Marcos that he felt deceived by the latter who he believed was a friend.
Marcos made the statement in response to Duterte’s remark that the two of them, although they ran together during the 2022 national elections, were not friends.
Duterte then said it was Senator Imee, Marcos’ older sister, who she has close ties with, as she has known her since 2012.
“Hindi ko alam kung ano ‘yung nire-refer nila na nabudol ko sila. Hiningi nila sakin ang kampanya ko. Binigay ko sa kanila, nanalo sila. So saan doon ang budol?” the Vice President said.
(I don’t know what they’re referring to when they say I scammed them. They asked for my campaign. I gave them what they wanted and they won. So where’s the scam in that?)
“Nung tumulong ako sa administrasyon, ang DepEd (Department of Education) was Top Three. The morale of the teachers was so high. They were so happy maghirap na magturo rain or shine. Saan doon ang budol, sa akin ba ‘yon kung number three ang DepEd? Hindi, sa President, sa bayan yon, accomplishment ng President, cabinet secretary lang ako. Anong budol?” she added.
(When I helped the administration, the DepEd was in the top three. The morale of the teachers was so high. They were so happy to teach, rain or shine. Where’s the scam in that? Is it my fault if DepEd was number three? No, that’s the President’s achievement, I’m just a cabinet secretary. What scam?)
Duterte reiterated that she and Marcos are not friends.
“Nagkakausap lang kami dahil sa trabaho. Hindi naman lahat ng katrabaho kaibigan natin. Nandoon lang tayo dahil meron tayong dapat gawin,” Duterte said.
(We only spoke because of our work. Not all our workmates are our friends. We are only there because we have things to accomplish.)
She said she also felt that she was just “tolerated” by the Marcoses because she was “useful” to them.
Duterte said for Marcos “it is all about winning.”
Imee’s call?
Duterte recalled the time when Imee called her sometime in October 2021 to ask her to be his brother’s running mate for the 2022 national polls.
“Tumawag sa akin si Imee, ‘pwede ka ba mag vice president?’ (Sabi ko) bakit mo ako nire-request na tumakbo? ‘Kasi matatalo kami ni Leni if hindi mo dalahin ang Bisaya.’ It was very straightforward. It was all about winning,” said Duterte.
(Imee called me and said, “Can you run for vice president?” I asked, “Why are you requesting me to run?” She replied, “Because we’ll lose to Leni if you don’t bring in the Bisaya votes.” It was very straightforward. It was all about winning.)
She said she then told Imee to instead ask Senators Ronald dela Rosa, Christopher “Bong” Go, or Manny Pacquiao to be his brother’s running mate.
“Ang sabi niya (Imee), hindi daw talaga kakayanin. Si Senator Pacquiao refused kasi tatakbo siya for President,” Duterte added.
(Imee said they really couldn’t manage it. Senator Pacquiao refused because he is running for President.)
Duterte said that before she decided to run as Marcos’ Vice President, she studied surveys to see if she was winnable and talked to her family.
The Vice President also cited several instances that showcased Marcos’ “insincerity.”
She said that in one of their private talks, she asked Marcos for two things if they won: to allow her to work in the security sector and to support her air travel from Manila to Davao and vice versa, so she could fulfill her duties as a mother and a public servant.
Duterte said that while the position as the Secretary of the Department of National Defense was offered to him after they took office, she opted to take the lead at DepEd.
In July, Duterte resigned as the secretary of the DepEd and as the vice chairperson of the anti-insurgency task force, later revealing that this was due to budget manipulation by House Speaker Martin Romualdez, a cousin of the Marcoses, and Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co, the chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations.
‘Insincerity’
Duterte said Marcos’ promise to support her air travel was not fulfilled.
“Hindi na natupad yon. Isang beses sinabihan ko siya, ‘pwede ba sabihan mo ‘yung 250 na ako ang priority, hindi ikaw kasi yan ang usapan natin kasi diba naiintindihan mo na meron akong maliliit na anak.’ Tapos, sinabi niya, ‘do I have to tell them?’ na semi-British accent and I said of course kasi President ka, ikaw magsabi. Then sunod naman ang priority si (First Lady) Liza (Araneta-Marcos) and then one time priority daw si ganyan,” Duterte said.
(That didn’t happen. I once told him, “Can you let the 250 know that I’m the priority, not you, because that’s what we agreed upon? You understand that I have small children, right?” Then he said, “Do I have to tell them?” in a semi-British accent, and I replied, “Of course, because you’re the President. You should say it.” Then the next priority was First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then one time, someone else was the priority.)
“So I said okay this is some form of insincerity. Okay, wala naman problema kasi ako lang yan, hindi naman problema yan ng bayan (So I said, okay, this is some form of insincerity. That’s fine. It’s just me, not a problem for the country),” she added.
Duterte also said that one of the turning points when she realized things between her and Marcos were becoming toxic was when he, while attending a graduation, embarrassed a student who was asking for his watch as a graduation gift.
“Sabi niya doon sa bata, ‘why? Why will I give you my watch?’ Tapos tumawa pa pati ‘yung dalawa pang katabi niya,” Duterte said.
(She said to the child, “Why? Why would I give you my watch?” Then the two people next to him also laughed.)
“Gusto ko tanggalin ang ulo niya that moment. I realized toxic na ‘yung relationship,” she added.
(I wanted to take his head off at that moment. I realized the relationship had become toxic.)
She also took exception to the police operations against now detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy.
Despite all these, Duterte said she never regretted running as Marcos’ Vice President or neither being elected as in the position as she believed that “God has his reasons.” (TPM/SunStar Philippines)
