Vice President Sara Duterte announced Wednesday that she has no intention of quitting the Office of the Vice President (OVP), dismissing resignation calls from lawmakers.
In a press conference, the Vice President addressed the so-called “Young Guns,” a group of House members aged 40 and below.
“I will not answer to ‘Young Guns’ because I need to answer to the 32 million who voted for me,” Duterte said in Filipino.
“Not to one or two people. I will not leave this office because the people put me here believing I will work for the country,” she added.
Her remarks appeared to address comments from House Appropriations vice chairperson and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon, who suggested Duterte should consider stepping down if she’s no longer interested in fulfilling her duties.
House Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. David Suarez echoed this sentiment, noting that it reflects the views of many members of Congress. Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel similarly criticized Duterte’s absence during the plenary debates and called it a betrayal of public trust.
Duterte announced that she will attend the OVP’s budget debates in the Senate, saying she no longer expects a funding increment for the OVP and that they will work around the budget that will be approved.
