MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte cried foul over allegations about members of her family over their supposed involvement in a multi-billion shabu shipment.
“Lahat ito ay political harassment, political attacks,” the Vice President said in an ambush interview last Saturday.
Duterte noted that such assertions only surfaced after she quitted the Marcos cabinet last June and openly criticized the supposed incompetencies of the current administration.
“Nakikita niyo naman, lumabas siya nung umalis ako sa DepEd (Department of Education), lumabas siya nung nagsasalita na ako kung anong dapat pinagawa natin para sa ating bayan,” she said.
Last Friday, August 16, former Customs officer Jimmy Guban testified before the joint congressional hearing that her brother, Davao City Representative Paolo Duterte, her husband Mans Caprio and ex Presidential economic adviser Michael Yang owned the busted 2018 multi-billion shabu shipment.
Despite being tagged into the controversy, the Vice President said that she will let her husband speak for himself.
Impeachment
Given increasing political tensions between the Dutertes and the Marcoses, the Vice President said she is no longer surprised should any impeachment complaint get going. But this, she said, is nothing but a “distraction” from the “real problems” of the country.
She said impeachment in fact, a good way to veer the people from the real problem plaguing the country.
“At ‘yung problema ng mga tao sa mahal na pagkain, yun talaga yung basic na problema at basic need ng bayan ngayon. Kaya sana ay hindi sila magpadala sa ingay, but kundi tutukan natin lahat kung ano yung totoong problema ng ating bayan,” said the Vice President.
Unfazed, the Vice President said she is somewhat expecting an impeachment play coming in based on information she’s getting. She however encourages people not to get swayed easily with what is being surfaced by her critics.
“Ang impeachment, at naririnig naman namin lagi yun, base sa mga sinasabi ng mga kaibigan doon sa loob. Expected na natin ‘yan dahil mainit nga ang politika ngayon dito sa ating bayan,” she said.
“Pero inuulit ko, sana ay hindi madala ang ating mga kababayan sa ingay ng politika,” she said.
No relationship with Marcos
The Vice President also has no qualms in saying that her strained relations with President Marcos Jr., her running mate, sees no resolution anytime soon. In fact, they don’t exist in each other’s worlds anymore.
“Oo, nasagot ko na ‘yan last time nung tinanong ako. At kumusta ‘yung relationship namin? Wala akong label sa relationship namin ngayon. Hindi na kami nagkikita, hindi na rin kami nagkakausap,” she said.
