Nearly two months since she resigned from the Marcos Cabinet — a clear signal of an intent to break ranks and go on a divergent path — Vice President Sara Duterte took a swipe at the government, openly criticizing how the country is being led.
In a lengthy statement that seemed more like a contra-State of the Nation Address speech on Wednesday, August 3, the Vice President did not mince words, declaring that “Filipinos deserve better.” Duterte released the statement a little over two weeks after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his third SONA.
The contra-SONA is traditionally delivered by the political opposition as a reaction to the President’s speech. But the Liberal Party said Sara Duterte can’t claim to be the political opposition since the qualities of an opposition leader “cannot be seen in her track record.” (READ: Who is the real opposition leader and why can’t it be Sara Duterte?)
Duterte declared: “We are extremely tired of seeing our country being left behind, treated as if it has no value, unappealing, and submissive to other nations. We, Filipinos, deserve more than what we are hearing and seeing from the government right now. We, Filipinos, deserve better.”
She forgets, however, that it was her father, Rodrigo Duterte, who was president for six years, before she and then-presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos ran in the same ticket and won. As the second highest official of the land, she has had the power to push for much-needed change. (READ: Powers and Duties: President, Vice President of the Philippines)
Question is, has she, and did she?
And does she have the moral ascendancy, too, to dish out harsh criticism?
She’s been requesting for billions of funds for her office since she assumed the vice presidency, but the education department under her leadership has been unable to dramatically alter learning poverty levels that are still among the worst in East Asia and the Pacific.
The learning recovery program crafted under her term was the subject of a Senate inquiry on Wednesday, August 7, due to lack of preparation and chaotic implementation. (READ: How Sara Duterte led DepEd for 2 years)
Remember the Matatag curriculum that she boasted of during her time at the DepEd? It turns out, it’s not as strong as she claimed to be. Teachers were dismayed by its rollout during the opening of classes last July 29 due to a lack of clear guidelines and clarity of direction. The DepEd launched this in August 2023. What happened to preparations?
Sara Duterte also hit the government’s lack of a flood-control master plan but her recent “overseas personal trip” while the country was experiencing severe flooding drew flak, as her absence did not go unnoticed.
“The Philippines, being an archipelago that faces typhoons annually, should have a comprehensive plan and robust infrastructure to deal with disasters. However, the Philippines currently has a government that admits we don’t even have a flood-control master plan,” Duterte said.
She went on to criticize the government for not having efficient healthcare for Filipinos. But isn’t Duterte herself part of government?
“The Philippines should have a healthcare system that truly protects the health of every Filipino and alleviates medical expenses during emergencies. However, the Philippines currently has PhilHealth, which instead of being strengthened, is having its funds diverted to matters unrelated to people’s health,” she said.
Let’s do some reality check. During her father’s presidency, let’s try to recall some of the things that happened. Remember the Pharmally corruption scandal that rocked the Rodrigo Duterte administration? Did her father do something to prevent healthcare workers from leaving the country at the height of the pandemic? What about their delayed hazard pay and allowances during the health crisis?
The Vice President also criticized the lawmakers at the House of Representatives, saying that they seem to not know the realities on the ground in relation to security and police shortage.
“The Philippines should have representatives in Congress who understand the true cause of the shortage in the police-to-population ratio — that the deficit is a figure that cannot be resolved within our lifetime due to the continuously growing population and the lack of budgetary resources to hire more personnel,” she said.
House lawmakers recently hit Duterte over her “childish tantrums” following the recall of 75 Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel from her security detail.
“The Philippines currently has representatives who, instead of passing modern legislation, are insisting on meddling in other issues,” Duterte said. (READ: Martin-Sara Duterte rift: House leaders back Romualdez, decry ‘political bickering’) It’s a fact, however, that she still has close to 400 soldiers and cops securing her, according to PNP chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil. She still retains “the most extensive security detail compared to her predecessors,” Marbil was quoted as saying.
The Vice President also hit the government’s foreign policy for allowing foreigners to “interfere” in the country’s domestics affairs. Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra recently said that the country would not block International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors from interviewing people allegedly involved in Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody drug war.
“The Philippines, as a sovereign nation, should stand firm against foreign interference in our domestic affairs. However, the Philippines now quickly bows and complies with the demands and intrusions of foreigners, such as those from the ICC,” Sara Duterte said.
The Vice President’s lengthy statement on Wednesday was the first time she didn’t hold back hitting the government since she left the Marcos Cabinet. We know, too, that First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos won’t back down. – Rappler.com
*All Filipino quotes were translated into English
