At A Glance
- According to Duterte, she never made any attempt to silence her critics.
Vice President Sara Duterte said she will not stop her critics from speaking out, even as she rejected fresh allegations that she and her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, received money from drug lords.
Duterte said this after the House of Representatives adopted a committee recommendation for the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to look into an alleged joint bank account of the Dutertes for having received funds from a financier with links to the drug trade, citing a testimony of former senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
In a media interview during her trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, June 12, the embattled Vice President said Trillanes’ remarks are not automatically the truth.
“Respetuhin natin ang opinion. So opinion 'yan ni Senator Trillanes (Let’s respect opinions. That’s Senator Trillanes’ opinion),” she said.
“Hindi dahil sinabi niya 'yan ay 'yan ang katotohanan (Just because he said it doesn’t mean it’s the truth),” she added.
According to Duterte, she never made any attempt to silence her critics.
“Hindi ako 'yung tipo ng tao na pipigilan ko ang ibang tao sa pagsasabi ng kung ano ang nasa puso at isip nila (I’m not the type of person who will stop anyone from saying what’s in their heart and mind),” the impeached Vice President said.
“Lahat naman tayo may freedom of speech, at lahat ng opinion nirerespeto ko (We all have freedom of speech, and I respect all opinions),” she added.