Vice President Sara Duterte’s own duty is to face the accusations against her rather than dictate how public officials should conduct themselves, Malacañang argued Friday, dismissing her appeal for the government to step back from political activity.
Speaking for the administration, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro framed the impeachment proceedings now underway in the Senate as a constitutional requirement rather than a political exercise, and said the Vice President cannot escape her obligation to respond to the charges. “Why should we stop promoting transparency and accountability? These are part of the mandate and duty of every public servant. As vice president, it is her responsibility to answer the allegations against her. Concealing the truth about these matters is a betrayal of the public trust,” Castro said.
Castro turned Duterte’s criticism back toward the Vice President’s own camp, contending that the political maneuvering she warned against was coming from her supporters. “VP Sara should instead be telling her allies to stop engaging in political maneuvering and spreading fake news to undermine President Marcos Jr. and his administration in an effort to install her as President even before 2028,” she said.
According to the Palace official, the Marcos administration has kept its attention on running the government, with transparency, accountability, and observance of constitutional processes serving as its operating principles.
Castro also drew a sharp contrast between the two officials’ records in public service, questioning what the Vice President had delivered to the country. “What has the Vice President contributed to the President’s efforts to promote peace and order and the country’s development? None,” she said.
The Palace remarks answered comments Duterte made a day earlier, when she urged government officials to abandon politics and their personal agendas and refocus on governance and the welfare of Filipinos. Castro maintained that it was the President who had stayed at his post while his second-in-command spent time elsewhere. “President Marcos Jr. remains focused on maintaining peace and order and advancing the country’s development. The President continues to work tirelessly even as the Vice President has been more frequently on vacation and traveling abroad,” she said.
