Vice President Sara Duterte declared that she would never align herself with the Marcoses again, following a fallout between her and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
During an ambush interview at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Duterte was asked about the possibility of running alongside the Marcoses in future elections, to which she responded, “Never again.”
When asked to elaborate, Duterte simply laughed, offering, “Mag-sit down tayo.”
Duterte also ruled out the possibility of mending ties with Marcos, clarifying that they were never close. “Hindi kami magkaibigan unang-una. Nagkakilala lang kami dahil mag-running mate kami,” Duterte said. She explained that their communication was limited to campaign and work matters during the elections. “Ang kaibigan ko talaga si Senator Imee Marcos,” she added, referring to her long-standing friendship with the president’s sister since 2012.
This declaration comes after Duterte resigned from the Marcos Cabinet in June, amidst ongoing political tensions between the current president and her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Meanwhile, the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability launched an inquiry into the Vice President’s use of public funds, including the P125 million in confidential expenses from her office in 2022. The investigation followed a privilege speech by Manila Representative Rolando Valeriano, who criticized Duterte for not addressing questions regarding her office’s fund utilization.
In his speech, Valeriano questioned the lack of proof behind the OVP’s socio-economic programs, claiming, “We have not seen any paper trail or electronic trail that would serve as evidence of beneficiaries and partnership agreements.”
Duterte defended herself, stating, “We have not done anything wrong. There is no misuse of funds.” She labeled the proceedings as a “well-funded and coordinated political attack,” aimed at undermining her potential bid for the 2028 presidential elections.
Despite her request to terminate the inquiry due to its lack of proposed legislation, the committee continued the session. Duterte later excused herself from the hearing, with committee chairperson Rep. Joel Chua allowing her departure.