Vice President Sara Duterte has taken aim at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over his failure to appear at the arrival ceremonies for repatriated overseas Filipino workers flown home from the Middle East on government-chartered flights over the weekend.
For Duterte, the no-show was symptomatic of a deeper problem. “Marami siyang kakulangan bilang Presidente. Hindi lamang sa pagbibigay ng simpatya at empathy sa ating mga kababayan. More than that ay ‘yung problema at iskandalo sa paggamit ng pera ng bayan,” she said.
The Palace moved to defend the President’s absence, with Press Officer Claire Castro pointing to the DMW and OWWA as the agencies designated to lead repatriation operations. “Nandyan po ang DMW at OWWA na siyang inutusan ng Pangulo na mag asikaso at tumulong sa ating mga kababayan habang ang Pangulo ay mayroon din mga importanteng ginagampanan para ayusin ang mga karagdagang programa at tulong sa ating kababayan para maibsan ang impact sa ating bansa ng mga nangyayari sa Middle East,” Castro said.
The Vice President, who had previously accused Marcos of inaction on the Middle East situation and argued that arranging a chartered flight should not have been difficult, expressed solidarity with OFWs caught in the conflict zone. “Nakikiisa tayo sa pinagdadaanan ng karamihan nating mga kababayan na Overseas Filipino Workers dahil sa kaguluhan dahil sa giyera doon sa Middle East. At kung ano man iyong matulong ng Office of the Vice President, ay gagawin namin. Ipaalam lang sa amin paano kami makakatulong,” she said.
Duterte said her office has an active program available to those displaced by the conflict. “Yung projects ng Office of the Vice President, meron tayong ‘RIICE’ na tinatawag. Ito ‘yung ‘Relief for Indigents and Individuals in Crises and Emergencies,'” she said.
