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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider VP Sara takes jab at Marcos anew, calls him 'pretending to be a kind' leader

VP Sara takes jab at Marcos anew, calls him 'pretending to be a kind' leader

Published Jul 19, 2025 08:54 pm
Vice President Sara Duterte threw shades anew at President Marcos, saying he was just pretending to be kind to separate himself from his father.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte (Mark Balmores/MANILA BULLETIN)
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte (Mark Balmores/MANILA BULLETIN)
In a rally held in front of the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention facility in The Hague, Netherlands on Saturday, July 19, the Vice President addressed allegations about the President being a “weak leader.”

“At ito tingin ko lang dahil marami talaga ang nagsasabi na hindi siya weak leader, ma'am, nagkukunwari lang siyang mabait. Nagkukunwari siya na mabait, gusto niya ipakita sa lahat ng mga tao na mabait ako (This is what I think because a lot of people say that he is not a weak leader, ma'am, but he’s pretending to be kind. He’s pretending to be kind, he wants people to see him as kind),” she told supporters who gathered there.

“Ang basa ko sa kanya gusto niyang ipakita na mabait siya na Marcos. Hindi siya tulad noong kanyang tatay, hindi siya yung Marcos na diktador. Ang kanya ay 'lowkey' ang kanyang gustong i-project sa ating lahat (What I see in him is he wants to be the kind Marcos. That he is not like his father, he is not Marcos the dictator. He wants to project being lowkey to everyone),” she added.

The Vice President argued how Marcos would always claim not to have an issue with her, but had never supported her projects and programs even when they were still in speaking terms.

Duterte also explained that in government hierarchy, the President has the last say in all actions being taken by his subordinates.

“Pero dahil presidente ka, manggagaling pa rin sa iyo ang utos. Dahil lahat yan, ma'am, alam ko na yan, alam ko ang trabaho sa gobyerno. Lahat yan magtatanong, may approval ba ito ni Inday Sara? Hindi gagalaw yan kung walang approval yan ng ulo (Because you are the president, the instructions will still come from you. I know all of that, ma’am. I know how the government works. They will all ask, ‘Has this been approved by Inday Sara?’ They will not do anything without the approval of the leader),” she shared.

Vice President Sara Duterte speaks before supporters of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, in front of the International Criminal Court in The Hague on Saturday, July 19, 2025. (Photo from Alvin & Tourism via Facebook)
Vice President Sara Duterte speaks before supporters of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, in front of the International Criminal Court in The Hague on Saturday, July 19, 2025. (Photo from Alvin & Tourism via Facebook)
Duterte criticized how the Marcos administration still has no big-ticket infrastructure project three years into the President’s term.

“Tapos na itong administration na ito. Midterm na sila, tatlong taon na ang lumipas pero wala pa rin tayong nakita (This administration is about to end. They’re already in the midterm. It’s been three years but we haven’t seen anything),” she said.

The official explained that big-ticket projects are finished in nine years, so the six-year term of an incumbent president is necessary for “continuity” of such projects.

Marcos anchored his 2022 campaign on “continuity and unity,” Duterte pointed out, but he was “low-key” just pretending then.

Duterte is in The Hague until July 23. During Saturday’s rally, she was accompanied by Senator Robin Padilla and his sibling BB Gandanghari, and lawyer Jimmy Bondoc.

A post on pro-Duterte Facebook pages said that “Free Duterte Now” rallies were held in Cebu City, Cagayan de Oro City, Camarines Sur, Bacolod City, and Davao City in the Philippines.

Related Tags

ICC VP Sara Duterte The Hague President Marcos weak leader
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