The elusive Vice President Sara Duterte sought to rally supporters in Mindanao into resisting the supposed interference of foreign entities as she took a swing at the incumbent Philippine leadership.
In a statement on Wednesday, Duterte said the Philippines deserves government officials who are ready to serve the public, fight for the sovereign rights of the country, and who possess the willpower to stand against foreign interference, particularly from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“However, the Philippines today is being led by individuals who have no right to serve in their sworn offices. So, what prevails today is fear for our future and our children,” she lamented in Filipino.
Duterte also decried inadequacies in government plans, particularly regarding disaster response, infrastructure, and flood control.
Furthermore, she accused lawmakers of wasting their time with irrelevant issues when should focused on addressing the police-to-population ratio shortage by leveraging technology.
She stressed that such officials cannot address or understand the needs of Filipinos, especially on relevant issues of security and healthcare.
The VP asserted that the country’s sovereignty should be at the primacy of its policies and should its leadership should “stand against foreign interference,” including the ICC.
“We are tires of seeing our country being left behind, being treated like we have no value… subservient to other races. We, Filipinos, deserve more than what we are hearing and seeing from the government right now. We, Filipinos, deserve better,” she concluded.
The Office of the Vice President released this statement online even as it remained mum about Duterte’s present whereabouts or when she intends to return to the Philippines.
Meanwhile, a Mindanao lawmaker on Wednesday expressed disappointed over Duterte’s statement directed at the local Muslim community, calling it divisive and unconstructive.
House Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the Vice President remains the second highest official of the country and has a duty to contribute positively to its progress.
“The Vice President Duterte should roll up her sleeves and join us in working towards a better future for all Filipinos regardless where areas they’re from or which religious group they belong to,” Adiong said.
He urged government officials, including the Vice President, to concentrate on their responsibilities and contribute positively to the nation’s progress.
“It is time to transcend from the usual line of frustrations we normally hear from politicians, especially when elections are just right around the corner and instead use them as a positive force to overturn and overcome these challenges for a more concrete and progressive results,” Adiong further emphasized.
“The Vice President’s statements have a tendency to politicize religious affiliations. We Muslims do not deserve that, we are part of this grand march towards progress and not some separate pitiable entity,” the legislator said.
“This kind of rhetoric only sows division and distracts from the real work that needs to be done,” he added.
Adiong said the Vice President’s remarks are obviously meant to disparage President Marcos, who “works tirelessly to address the nation’s challenges.”
