After threatening to kill the sitting President and her First Lady by hiring an assassin, Vice President Sara Duterte stoked another controversy by claiming on Saturday that she was on track to win the 2022 presidential elections but chose to forgo the opportunity amid widespread public sentiment that her political ambitions sparked the current political unrest.
Her comments came in response to a statement by House Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales 1st District Rep. Jay Khonghun, who claimed that Duterte’s early presidential aspirations triggered the ongoing political turmoil.
“This chaos only started when our vice president dreamed of becoming president early. When the former president dreamed of having his son take over as president immediately—that’s where it all began,” Khonghun said on Thursday.
Khonghun suggested premature ambitions disrupted political harmony, but Duterte refuted this narrative during an ambush interview at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center on November 30.
‘I gave it away’
Duterte contended that the 2022 presidency was hers to claim, citing strong survey results and unified support for her candidacy.
“First of all, the presidency of 2022 was mine already. I was leading in the surveys, and the people were solidly behind me. But I gave it away because I felt I had other responsibilities beyond being president of the Republic of the Philippines,” Duterte said.
She clarified that her decision to forgo the presidential race was rooted in her commitment to serving Davao City as its mayor at the time.
“President Rodrigo Duterte did not ask me to run for the presidency. And even if he had, I wouldn’t have done it,” she said in an earlier press conference on October 18.
Allegations of harassment
Duterte accused certain lawmakers of fostering political chaos, claiming that maltreatment of her office and personnel had escalated tensions.
“I did not ask Congress to open investigations or inquiries in aid of legislation that amount to political persecution and harassment of my office’s personnel,” she stated.
She accused lawmakers of engaging in “terrorism, harassment, and threats” against the staff of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), rejecting accusations that she instigated the current issues.
“Don’t gaslight me as if I’m the cause of all these problems. These issues are a result of their actions,” Duterte added.
Committed to supporting staff
Duterte confirmed her intent to accompany OVP personnel to the next House hearing on the alleged misuse of funds involving her office and the Department of Education.
“They feel safer and calmer with my presence,” she explained.
She also expressed gratitude to her supporters, particularly those who gathered at the EDSA Shrine, and to Atty. Zuleika Lopez and Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta, individuals who helped care for her hospitalized staff.
Lopez and Acosta were discharged from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center on November 30.
A defiant stand
The vice president’s incendiary and rhetoric had become more dramatic in recent months. In October, she said a press conference said she “wanted to cut his [Marcos’s] head off” and threatened to dig up the remains of Marcos’s father and throw them in the South China Sea.
Despite mounting challenges, Duterte remained defiant, signaling her readiness to address the allegations of misuse of public funds. But despite a number of press conference and statements, the public has yet to receive an explanation on how her office has spent the funds in question.
As the political landscape continues to heat up, her statements highlight a battle for accountability over her confidential fund spending and public perception..