Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent jabs against President Marcos and other administration officials regarding their handling of freak floods in several parts of the country have not only caused outrage among several lawmakers but may have also inspired netizens to coin the online moniker #LakwatSARA.
It is widely believed that this “hashtag” is a not-so-veiled dig at the vice president, whose whereabouts have been uncertain since she left the country as it was being pummeled by a confluence of weather disturbances late last month.
Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun and La Union Rep. Francisco Paolo Ortega chided Duterte for her negative portrayal of the Marcos Administration, pointing out her hush-hush trip to Germany at the height of the heavy southwest monsoon rains and Typhoon “Carina.”
“Who did netizens call #LakwatSARA during (Typhoon) ‘Carina?’ Isn’t it the height of irresponsibility that you, the second-highest official of the land, abandoned it during a storm? Even now, you are still abroad yet won’t stop complaining,” Khonghun said in Filipino.
“People who hear the VP’s criticisms against the President say ‘Look who’s talking.’ Where were you when the citizens needed you? Safe from Carina because you were in Germany,” he added.
He said Duterte’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, had a full six years to fund the flood control program, including Davao City, citing her brother, Davao City Rep. Paulo Duterte, had a P51-billion allocation for infrastructure projects during the last three years of his father’s term in Malacañang.
Ortega said the younger Duterte’s statements should be contextualized against recent calamities and the broader political framework.
“It is perplexing to hear such criticisms from the VP, particularly during a time when the nation was grappling with the adverse impacts of typhoon ‘Carina’ and the southwest monsoon. While these natural calamities were unfolding, VP Duterte was reported to be in Germany,” he said.
He said the Vice President’s brothers, Rep. Paolo Duterte, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, and the ex-president were notably absent from the city during the storm, instead choosing to go to Tacloban City to supposedly engage in politics.
“This fact further complicates the VP’s position, suggesting a pattern of absence during critical times that necessitated leadership and prompt response,” he said.
As this developed, other congressmen strongly condemned Sen. Ronald dela Rosa’s series of attacks against the House leadership, calling them “unfounded and un-parliamentary.”
Quezon Rep. David Suarez took a swipe at the former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and architect of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, calling his allegations baseless and a distraction from the real issues at hand.
“Senator Dela Rosa’s accusations are not only unnecessary but also unparliamentary and unbecoming of a public servant. The House leadership has always acted with the utmost integrity, and it is highly irresponsible for anyone to suggest that they are behind a witch hunt against Senator Dela Rosa or former President Rodrigo Duterte,” he said.
The Quad-Committee was formed through the strong consensus of members who overwhelmingly supported the resolution in plenary, he stressed.
It was established to pursue the truth behind serious allegations against the former president and his close associates, not to settle political scores, the lawmaker added.
“This investigation is about uncovering the truth behind the syndicates involved in illegal drugs and Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs). It is not, and never has been, about politics,” he said.
For his part, Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre slammed Dela Rosa for resorting to personal attacks, instead of addressing the serious concerns raised by the ongoing investigation.
“Senator Dela Rosa’s remarks are deeply disappointing. Instead of cooperating with the investigation to shed light on the issues, he has chosen to launch personal attacks against the House leadership, which has done nothing but ensure that the House exercises its oversight functions effectively,” he said.
He maintained that the focus of the Quad-Committee is to investigate the troubling links between the extrajudicial killings, illegal drugs and POGO as well as to hold accountable those who may have facilitated or protected these activities.
“The mandate of the quad-committee is clear —to seek the truth and ensure justice. We will not be deterred by baseless accusations,” he said.
Meanwhile, Surigao del Sur Rep. Robert Ace Barbers assured that the focus of the upcoming investigation will be uncovering the truth behind criminal syndicates and their protectors in the government, without any political motives.
The Quad-Committee is composed of the committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts earlier disclosed its plan to invite Dela Rosa.
The committee’s first hearing is scheduled for Aug. 15, following an organizational meeting today (Monday).
Dela Rosa said he has no plans to attend the joint hearing, citing his desire to uphold the tradition of inter-parliamentary courtesy between the Senate and the House.
Earlier, the Senator accused the House leadership of trying to implicate him and Duterte in the extrajudicial killings currently under scrutiny by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
He claimed that Congress had discussions with police officials to frame him up as a suspect in the bloody war on drugs.
