The detention of former president Rodrigo Duterte in The Hague, Netherlands was a way for the Marcos administration to stile dissent, Vice President Sara Duterte claimed on Saturday, July 19.
Duterte's ICC detention used by Marcos to stifle dissent—VP Sara
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte during the Brigada Eskwela in Manila last Aug. 14, 2023. (Ali Vicoy/MANILA BULLETIN)
During a “Free Duterte Rally” held in The Hague, where the former president has been imprisoned in the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention facility since March, the official took the stage to criticize President Marcos’ handling of criticisms.
The Vice President cited two instances when her father “questioned” Marcos’ rule.
“Noon palang kinuwestiyon ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang kapasidad ni Pangulong Marcos sa kaisipan niya dahil sa kanyang alleged drug addiction at cocaine use ay hinabol-habol na nila si dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte (When former president Rodrigo Duterte questioned the mental capacity of President Marcos because of his alleged drug addiction and cocaine use, they went after former president Rodrigo Duterte),” she said in a media interview.
The administration, she added, went so far as to make sure that her father will not be able to speak again when he questioned the “blank budget” signed by the President’s bicameral committee.
“That is stifling dissent and that is not democracy,” Duterte stressed.
Duterte was responding to a question on whether she thinks the Marcos administration purposely links her father to anomalies just to cover up the government’s inefficiencies.
Her remarks also came amid plans by the House of Representatives to probe the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Manila Bay rehabilitation program, which is being eyed as the cause of the flooding in Manila.
The Vice President insisted that instead of putting the blame on the past administration, the government should address the problems.
“Dapat kasi ang gobyerno kapag, merong reklamo o merong mali silang nakikita hindi sila nagtuturo ng ibang tao (The government should not be pointing fingers when there are complaints or when they see something wrong),” Duterte said.
“Ganun ang tamang governance at ganun ang tamang pagpapatakbo ng gobyerno. Hindi yung kapag mayrong nakita mali ay magtuturo ng ibang rason o magtuturo ng ibang tao (That’s the proper governance and that’s the right way to run the government. You should not be grasping for reasons and pointing at other people when you see something wrong),” she added.