Vice President Sara Duterte issued a statement on Tuesday, June 30, accusing the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of poor governance and of using the justice system to silence its critics, as thousands of protesters gathered at the People Power Monument along EDSA.
In the statement, Duterte said the crowd at EDSA reflected a sentiment she has voiced since 2024. She charged that the administration has “weaponized the justice system” by filing cases against and jailing people who speak out against alleged corruption, question the government’s competence, or criticize the President — including, she said, allegations about his drug use. She described the political climate as “increasingly oppressive” and warned that a government answering criticism with intimidation undermines the democratic institutions it is sworn to protect.
The Palace has not commented directly on Duterte’s statement. Marcos himself canceled his morning activities on Tuesday to monitor the EDSA gathering, the Presidential Communications Office said. Acting PCO Secretary Dave Gomez told reporters the President was tracking developments from Malacañang and would skip a scheduled luncheon with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.
The rally that prompted Duterte’s statement was organized by members of the Iglesia ni Cristo, who said the demonstration was a call for transparency, accountability, justice and peace. According to the Inquirer, the mobilization was triggered by the Office of the Ombudsman’s announcement that it would file a non-bailable plunder case against Senator Rodante Marcoleta. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Monday that charges over some 75 million pesos in undeclared 2025 campaign donations would be filed at the Sandiganbayan this week, with former lawmaker Mike Defensor and two private individuals named as co-accused. Marcoleta has acknowledged receiving the donations but has called the case politically motivated and intended to intimidate government critics.
Crowd estimates varied. The Quezon City Police District placed the number at around 7,000 as of Tuesday morning, while Super Radyo dzBB, quoting police, reported the figure had grown to about 10,000 by late morning. The gathering closed White Plains Avenue and snarled traffic along EDSA, prompting authorities to deploy police and traffic personnel. The Armed Forces of the Philippines urged organizers to keep the protest lawful and orderly, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government directed the police to exercise maximum tolerance.
Marcoleta has said the impending plunder case is part of a coordinated effort to keep him from taking part in Duterte’s impeachment trial, which is set to begin on July 6. The Vice President faces removal in a Senate trial stemming from her impeachment by the House of Representatives.
