MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte, who herself has refused to answer corruption allegations, said on Thursday, May 8 that Filipinos are paying the price for electing the “wrong” leader, and urged the public to vote straight for the “Dutert10” senatorial slate.
“Sa kasamaang-palad, iniluklok natin ang isang lider na walang kakayahang maintindihan ang tunay na kalagayan ng Pilipino, at higit sa lahat, hindi kayang mag-desisyon para sa kapakanan ng sambayanan. Pinagbabayaran natin ngayon ang pagpili ng maling leader,” Duterte said during the miting de avance of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan slate.
(Unfortunately, we have elected a leader who lacks the ability to understand the true condition of the Filipino people, and more importantly, is incapable of making decisions for the good of the nation. We are now paying the price for choosing the wrong leader.)
The Vice President’s statement appeared to be a swipe at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., after she mentioned that the leader she referred to had refused to publicly undergo a hair follicle drug test.
The Duterte camp has accused Marcos of drug addiction, referring to him as “bangag” (high or intoxicated).
Marcos has rejected calls for him to undergo a hair follicle drug test, saying it had nothing to do with the constitutional principle that public office is a public trust.
During the campaign rally, the Vice President thanked her supporters for standing by her despite her family’s political challenges. In the recent Pulse Asia survey, she received the highest approval rating among top officials at 59%, while Marcos’ rating dropped sharply to 25%.
“In the past months, my name and my family’s name have been dragged through the mud. I have repeatedly said this before, and I will say it again now — I am not the problem of this country. Hindi ako ang problema ng Pilipinas. Hindi Duterte ang problema ng Pilipinas (I am not the problem of the Philippines. The Dutertes are not the problem of the Philippines),” she said.
In the absence of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte — who was ordered arrested by the International Criminal Court in connection with his brutal drug war and is now detained in the Netherlands — she has been actively campaigning for the “Dutert10” slate, as well as for reelectionist Senator Imee Marcos and Las Piñas Representative Camille Villar.
Political analysts have said that Sara Duterte’s active campaigning is driven by her looming impeachment trial, as she needs the support of at least nine senators to stay in office and keep her 2028 presidential bid viable. – Rappler.com