Vice President Sara Duterte (Noel Pabalate/ MANILA BULLETIN)

You left as Typhoon "Carina" and the southwest monsoon (Habagat) battered the Philippines. 

This was basically Zambales 1st district Rep. Jefferson Khonghun and La Union 1st district Rep. Francisco Paolo Ortega V's retort to Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday, Aug. 7, after the lady official wrote an open letter to the Muslim community wherein she criticized the Marcos administration over a myriad of issues. 

For Khonghun and Ortega, Vice President Duterte should just explain her absence during the onslaught of Carina and Habagat instead of diverting from the matter.

“Ma’am, kayo po ang wala sa bansa nang bayuhin ng super typhoon Carina ang mga Pilipino. Nasa bakasyon po kayo...Please naman po do your duty as the country’s No. 2 official,” Khonghun said. 

(Ma'am, it was you who was missing in the country when super typhoon Carina battered Filipinos. You were on vacation...Please do your duty as the country’s No. 2 official.) 

Ortega said: “The last we heard from her was when she left with her entourage at the height of super typhoon Carina, while the President and all of us were preparing for the storm’s onslaught." 

Before dawn on July 24, the Vice President and her family left for what was reported to be a vacation in Germany. By the time morning came, much of Metro Manila and Luzon was flooded. 

In her open letter, Vice President Duterte touched upon the country’s problems security, health care, and infrastructure, just to now a few. She said Filipinos "deserved better". 

“Tama na po ‘yung reklamo, ma'am. Magtrabaho po tayo at tulong-tulong tayo para mapaunlad ang bansa,” Ortega said. 

(Enough of the complaints, ma'am. Let's work and cooperate with each other for the betterment of the country.)


READ THIS: 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/30/is-vp-duterte-criticizing-pnp-to-divert-from-her-absence-during-carina-solon-says-yes 

“I am appealing to our Muslim brothers, and our countrymen in general, to take the contents of Ma’am Sara’s letter with a grain of salt,” he further said. 

The two members of the "Young Guns" bloc in the House reminded the Vice President of past issues that she has yet to address head-on. 

“Hanggang ngayon hindi ipinapaliwanag ni Ma’am Sara sa mga tao kung papaano niya nagastos ng 11 days ang P125 million confidential funds,” Khonghun recalled. 

(Up to now, Ma'am Sara has yet to explain to the people how she was able to spend P125-million confidential funds in 11 days.) 

“May issue rin ng extrajudicial killings noong mayor kayo, ang tahimik nyo?” Ortega asked. 

(There was also an issue on extrajudicial killings during your time as mayor, why are you silent?)