VP Sara: I am the frontrunner in 2028 polls and they want me eliminated
"I am the frontrunner in the presidential race in 2028."
Those words coming from Vice President Sara Duterte as she linked the impeachment case filed against her and the arrest of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, by the International Criminal Court to the 2028 national elections.
Duterte made the comment in an interview with the Russian media, and its transcript was released by the Office of the Vice President on Wednesday night.
In the interview, Duterte said she believes that the government is making moves because President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. supposedly wants to stay in power.
"It's all about the refusal or the intent of President Marcos. It is the intent of President Marcos not to step down. He wants to perpetuate himself or his family in power. It is clear from the moves of his administration against political opponents," she said.
GMA News Online has reached out to Malacañang for comment but it has yet to reply as of posting time.
Duterte, meanwhile, also said that the government is threatened by her popularity.
"The survey shows that. And I think they want to eliminate the frontrunner... They think that if they take out former President Duterte, they will weaken me because it's one brand, it's one family," said Duterte.
Malacañang on Monday hit back at Duterte following another tirade against Marcos, including calling the President and his leadership a ''budol'' or scam.
"Hindi natin alam kung sino ba ang nambubudol. Sa nakikita po natin na pagtatrabaho ng Pangulo, sa pag-uutos sa amin na focus sa trabaho at hindi pamumulitika – sino ba talaga ang nambubudol?'' said Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro.
(Scam, really? I don't know who's scamming. As we see the President working and instructing us to focus on our jobs and not on politics, who's scamming?)
Former allies
Vice President Duterte also stated that she has not yet decided whether to run for president in 2028.
"I have not planned anything for the presidential race of 2028. Some supporters have given me a deadline of the fourth quarter of the year 2026. So that is when I will decide if I will run for president on 2028," she said.
Relations between Marcos and Duterte, running mates in Eleksyon 2022, have turned frosty following House probes into the drug war under the administration of her father and the handling of confidential funds by offices under her leadership.
Duterte on Sunday said that she bore 'no ill feelings' towards Marcos but said that she found problems with his performance.
READ: Uniteam no more: Timeline of Marcos-Duterte tandem's woes
'I have no ill feelings with him with regard to the political persecution that I am receiving from the administration because that is part of the life of a politician," Duterte said in an interview during a support rally in Melbourne, Australia.
"I have problems with his performance as president and I have problems with the violations of our fundamental law, our constitution, particularly with the rendition of former President [Rodrigo] Duterte. That was really an affront to Philippine sovereignty,' she added.
Castro previously said it would be the Vice President's loss if she regretted being teamed up with Marcos in the 2022 national elections.
"Kung hindi po talaga siya makikinig at hindi niya po titingnan ang mga records na nangyayari sa gobyerno, wala po talaga siyang malalaman,'' she added.
(If she won't listen and she won't check the records on what's happening in the government, she will not learn anything.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
3 hours ago
- GMA Network
Enrique Manalo to leave top DFA post on June 30
After serving as the country's top diplomat under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Secretary Enrique Manalo will leave his post at the Department of Foreign Affairs, an agency confronting multiple international crises, on June 30. Manalo, 72, bid farewell to at least three dozen members of the Philippine and international media at a luncheon Thursday and described his term as three meaningful years of "building peace and cooperation and fostering enduring friendships" with allies "and even China." "Our foreign policy remains the same. We're firmly anchored on the values and principles of peace, democracy, human rights, fairness, and justice. And we will continue to do so, especially in terms of enhancing national security," Manalo said. Manalo said he actively advocated for economic security, as well as the promotion of the rights and well-being of Filipinos abroad. A seasoned career diplomat, Manalo was appointed by Marcos as DFA chief on July 1, 2022, replacing Teodoro Locsin Jr. He became acting Foreign Secretary from March 9 to May 17, 2017, after Perfecto Yasay failed to get the confirmation of the bicameral Commission on Appointments as DFA Secretary. Manalo, who retired from the Foreign Service in 2018, served as Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York under former President Rodrigo Duterte from 2020 to June 30, 2022. It is expected that he will be reappointed to this role following his departure from the top DFA job. Marcos accepted Manalo's courtesy resignation on June 23, as announced by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin in a televised news conference. Marcos announced in June a major Cabinet revamp after his senatorial candidates won fewer seats than the administration hoped for in the May 12 midterm elections. He asked all Cabinet members to submit their letters of resignation and had accepted several, including Manalo's. Bersamin announced that Manalo would be replaced by DFA Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Ma. Theresa Lazaro, whose remarkable career in the foreign service largely focused on crafting Philippine foreign policy. Lawmakers confirmed her appointment as the next DFA chief on June 11. A former ambassador to France and Australia, Lazaro also led negotiations and talks in the Association of Southeast Nations, including a proposed code of conduct agreement in the disputed South China Sea between the 10-member bloc and China. In July, the DFA announced that China and the Philippines had forged a landmark provisional arrangement that ended increasingly violent confrontations in the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal, the international name for Ayungin Shoal. Lazaro, 66, led the negotiations with Chinese officials for that temporary agreement, which has allowed at least eight resupply and rotation of troop missions for Filipino forces aboard the BRP Sierra Madre ship without any violent clashes. The international community feared that the worsening incidents could spark a major armed confrontation that could involve the United States, a defense treaty ally of the Philippines. Lazaro also led talks between the Philippines and China about several confrontations in the West Philippine Sea, called the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism, or BCM. In those meetings hosted alternately by the Philippines and China, Lazaro's delegation from different government agencies formally protested China's assertive actions in the resource-rich waters and underscored Marcos' policy of "not giving a single square inch" of Philippine territory and interests. — VBL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
4 hours ago
- GMA Network
Up to 4 drug war witnesses under protection after ICC request —SOJ Remulla
Three to four witnesses in the case of former President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC) are currently under government protection, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Thursday. In an ambush interview, Remulla confirmed that the ICC requested the government to provide protection for the witnesses, saying this is already ongoing. 'We will protect the witnesses. Whatever it takes to protect the witnesses, we will do it. Because ano eh— prosecution would rely on these witnesses,' he said. 'Hanggang dito lang sa Pilipinas. Syempre pag dating doon kanila na 'yan. Pero habang nandito 'yan, we exhaust our obligation to them. if we can protect witnesses for other cases, why not in this case,' he added. (Only up to here in the Philippines. Of course, once they get there, it's already under their jurisdiction. But while they're still here, we exhaust our obligation to them. If we can protect witnesses for other cases, why not in this case?) According to Remulla, more individuals may be placed under witness protection. Meanwhile, the Secretary said that cooperating with the tribunal is not contradictory to the government's position that the Philippines is no longer a member of the ICC. The Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, in March 2019 during the Duterte administration. Since then, Philippine officials have maintained that the ICC has no jurisdiction in the country. Following the arrest and transfer of Duterte to the ICC in March, Malacañang said the ICC can look into the crimes that Duterte allegedly committed because they took place before the membership withdrawal. 'We already chose not to pursue the cases and let the ICC pursue these cases. Given that, it also becomes our obligation to help them because we are giving up our jurisdiction for their jurisdiction,' Remulla said. 'Kasi nga ang hirap nga i-prove 'yung case dito at i-build up 'yung kaso, dahil 'yung mga kailangan mong magsalita ay kasama sa krimen. Kaya kumplikado rito,' he added. (Because it's really hard to prove the case and build it up here, since the people who need to speak up are also involved in the crime. That's what makes it complicated.) When asked if the cooperation means that the Philippines may return to the ICC, Remulla said this is a decision that will have to be made 'as a country.' Based on government records, around 6,200 drug suspects were killed during the Duterte administration's anti-drug operations. Human rights organizations, however, say that the number may reach 30,000 due to the unreported related slays. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
9 hours ago
- GMA Network
VP Sara: I am the frontrunner in 2028 polls and they want me eliminated
"I am the frontrunner in the presidential race in 2028." Those words coming from Vice President Sara Duterte as she linked the impeachment case filed against her and the arrest of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, by the International Criminal Court to the 2028 national elections. Duterte made the comment in an interview with the Russian media, and its transcript was released by the Office of the Vice President on Wednesday night. In the interview, Duterte said she believes that the government is making moves because President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. supposedly wants to stay in power. "It's all about the refusal or the intent of President Marcos. It is the intent of President Marcos not to step down. He wants to perpetuate himself or his family in power. It is clear from the moves of his administration against political opponents," she said. GMA News Online has reached out to Malacañang for comment but it has yet to reply as of posting time. Duterte, meanwhile, also said that the government is threatened by her popularity. "The survey shows that. And I think they want to eliminate the frontrunner... They think that if they take out former President Duterte, they will weaken me because it's one brand, it's one family," said Duterte. Malacañang on Monday hit back at Duterte following another tirade against Marcos, including calling the President and his leadership a ''budol'' or scam. "Hindi natin alam kung sino ba ang nambubudol. Sa nakikita po natin na pagtatrabaho ng Pangulo, sa pag-uutos sa amin na focus sa trabaho at hindi pamumulitika – sino ba talaga ang nambubudol?'' said Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro. (Scam, really? I don't know who's scamming. As we see the President working and instructing us to focus on our jobs and not on politics, who's scamming?) Former allies Vice President Duterte also stated that she has not yet decided whether to run for president in 2028. "I have not planned anything for the presidential race of 2028. Some supporters have given me a deadline of the fourth quarter of the year 2026. So that is when I will decide if I will run for president on 2028," she said. Relations between Marcos and Duterte, running mates in Eleksyon 2022, have turned frosty following House probes into the drug war under the administration of her father and the handling of confidential funds by offices under her leadership. Duterte on Sunday said that she bore 'no ill feelings' towards Marcos but said that she found problems with his performance. READ: Uniteam no more: Timeline of Marcos-Duterte tandem's woes 'I have no ill feelings with him with regard to the political persecution that I am receiving from the administration because that is part of the life of a politician," Duterte said in an interview during a support rally in Melbourne, Australia. "I have problems with his performance as president and I have problems with the violations of our fundamental law, our constitution, particularly with the rendition of former President [Rodrigo] Duterte. That was really an affront to Philippine sovereignty,' she added. Castro previously said it would be the Vice President's loss if she regretted being teamed up with Marcos in the 2022 national elections. "Kung hindi po talaga siya makikinig at hindi niya po titingnan ang mga records na nangyayari sa gobyerno, wala po talaga siyang malalaman,'' she added. (If she won't listen and she won't check the records on what's happening in the government, she will not learn anything.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News
