Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Sunday, October 20, rejected Vice President Sara Duterte’s accusations that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos’ leadership is weak, saying that the Philippine economy improved under his administration.
Escudero made the remark in an interview with Radio DZBB, saying he can see President Marcos leading the country well gauging it based on the current state of the country’s economy.
“Hindi ako sangayon doon. Gaya ng sabi ko, opinion niya yun, bagaman ginagalang ko, ay hindi ako sang-ayon (I don’t agree to that. As I said, that’s her opinion. Even though I respect her, I don’t agree with her statements),” Escudero said in the interview.
“Pinamumunuan na maayos tayo ng Pangulo at makikita mo yan sa takbo ng ating ekonomiya. Kung saan mababa na, bumaba na ang ating inflation at maganda ang ating growth rate (The President is leading us well and you can see that in the way our economy is doing. Where it is already low, our inflation has dropped and our growth rate is good," Escudero said in an interview with Nimfa Ravelo of Radio DZBB.
The Senate chief also said he believes that the Vice President's statements will not have any effect on President Marcos’ office.
“Sa akin pananaw yung mga binitiwang salita ni Vice President Sara ay hindi naman siguro makaka-apekto dito. Kung may epekto man yan, ang epekto po niyan ay sa tanggapan mismo ng ikalawang Pangulo (In my opinion, Vice President Sara's words may not affect this. If that has any effect, it will have an effect on the Office of the Second President),” said Escudero.
The Senate leader, likewise, criticized Duterte's harsh words and statements against the Marcos family, calling it “unbecoming.”
“Yung ibang mga binitiwan niyang salita, medyo unbecoming sa kanya bilang pangalawang pinakamataas na opisyal ng bansa kabilang na yung binanggit mo, kabilang na yung pagpugot ng ulo ng Pangulo, medyo hindi yun na nababagay ika nga sa isang napakataas na opisyal ng ating bansa (The other things she said, it was a bit unbecoming of her as the second highest official of the country, including the one you mentioned, including the beheading of the President, that's a bit unbecoming of a very high official of our country),” the senator said.
In a press conference last Friday, Duterte vowed she will behead President Marcos and have his late father’s body exhumed and dumped in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Escudero warned the Vice President against releasing such statements projecting her resentment or frustrations, noting a lot of people look up to her and her office.