Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday dismissed any suggestion that she could be implicated in the alleged corruption surrounding flood control projects, describing the issue as a politically driven attempt to link her, her father former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go to the controversy.
Speaking during the World Pandesal Day event at Kamuning Bakery Cafe in Quezon City, Duterte acknowledged that she expects the probe’s scope to widen. When asked if she thought investigators might try to drag her father’s name into the controversy, she answered, “Oo, at saka sa akin (Yes, and me, as well).”
She attributed the allegations to politics, saying some individuals may attempt to create a narrative connecting her and her political allies. “I think they’ll try to connect it to me because Senator Bong Go is an ally of former President Duterte. That’s probably where they’ll try to make up a story—me on one side, PRRD in the middle, and Senator Go on the other,” she said.
Despite the controversy, Duterte said she is confident that no legitimate charges will touch her. “Sigurado ako hindi aabot sa akin ‘yung flood control scandal (I’m certain the flood control scandal won’t reach me),” she stated.
She emphasized that both the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, which she headed until July, have no connection to flood control projects. “First of all, there are no flood control projects under the OVP or the Department of Education… Even the contractors and Secretary Bonoan have said I have no projects whatsoever with the DPWH,” she explained.
Reiterating her distance from any infrastructure dealings, Duterte added, “Hindi ako sumasali sa ganyan (I don’t get involved in those things).”
