Despite the Duterte camp claiming that she is the country’s new opposition leader after her resignation from the Marcos administration’s official family, Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday, June 29, rejected the notion and said she simply works for the people.
Vice President Sara Duterte delivers her message during the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) Pasidungog held in Cebu City on Saturday, June 29, 2024. (Inday Sara Duterte/Facebook)
Speaking on the sidelines of the 2024 Office of the Vice President (OVP) Pasidungog in Cebu City, the official stressed that being an opposition leader is not in her character.
“Hindi kasi ako, sa trabaho ko, sa pagkatao ko, at saka sa prinsipyo ko, hindi ako gumagalaw for the administration, opposition, o kung anumang pulitika na ‘yan (No, because in my work, in my personality, in my principles, I don’t act for the administration, opposition, or whatever politics that may be),” she said in a media interview.
“Ang galaw ko ay base sa kung ano ‘yung makakatulong sa ating mga kababayan at kung ano ‘yung karapat-dapat (I act based on what will help our people and what is right),” Duterte added.
Former Palace spokesperson and lawyer Harry Roque was the one who claimed that Duterte will be the new opposition leader after she resigned as Department of Education (DepEd) secretary and vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) last June 19.
“Uniteam has formally been dissolved and she has just become the leader of the opposition,” he wrote on Facebook.
“The line has been drawn! The Philippines finally has a real leader. Onwards to Transparency, Accountability, Peace and Security! Let’s redeem the Philippines!,” he added.
The Liberal Party (LP) also rejected the claim.
But Duterte stressed that there is no such thing as an opposition in politics and as for her, she prefers to focus on the transition of power in DepEd.
“Ang gawa natin ngayon ay ito, ang pagtutok sa transition, turn over ng Department of Education, at ang ating pagpapatuloy ng mga proyekto sa ilalim ng Pangalawang Pangulo ng Pilipinas (What we’re doing now is focusing on the transition, turnover of the Department of Education, and continuing the projects under the Office of the Vice President),” she said.