Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, Sept. 29, lamented that “nothing (is) happening” in the country as politics and self-interest seemed to consume government officials under the Marcos administration.

In a press conference, the official criticized the present administration for the “abuse” and “corruption” in government.

“There is practically nothing happening in our country. Pailang ulit ko na yan sinasabi noon na tigilan iyong pulitika, tigilan iyong pag-una ng pansariling interes kasi walang nangyayari sa ating bansa (How many times have I said this in the past to stop politicking, to stop focusing on their self-interests because nothing’s happening in our country),” she said.

“Mayroon ba kayong nakikita at all na project na nakatulong sa ating bayan? Wala (Have you seen any project that’s helping our country? None),” she added.

Duterte quoted her father, detained former president Rodrigo Duterte, who once called President Marcos a “weak leader.”

The Vice President shared that her father has been “distressed” about discussions on the flood control corruption the last time they talked.

“So, i’ll try to avoid that later,” she said. She last talked to her father, who is now in the detention facility, last Friday. Sept. 19.

“Sasabihin lang naman kasi ni PRD na sinabi ko na, si BBM ay hindi marunong (Because [former] president Rodrigo Duterte will just say against that BBM [Bongbong Marcos] doesn’t know anything). He is a weak leader and he doesn’t know anything at all about governance,” the younger Duterte added.

Citing the witnesses who gave their testimonies about the multi-billion-peso corruption scandal, the Vice President pointed out how government institutions are being abused.

“Our institutions are clearly abused. They are used for personal gain. We have already seen the testimony of witnesses about corruption,” she said.

In fact, the younger Duterte claimed that she doesn’t mind the attacks on her, but is more concerned about the country.

“Yes, of course,” she said when asked if she’s distressed.

“Sinabi ko na yan noon. Hindi naman masama ang loob ko sa ginawa nila sa paninira sa pangalan ko. Masama ang loob ko dahil sa ginawa nila sa bayan (I already said that before. I am not angry because they’re besmirching my name. I am angry because of what they’re doing to the country),” she said.

Duterte also claimed that former speaker Martin Romualdez has other sources of kickbacks aside from anomalous flood control projects.

“Hindi lang sa flood control. Pati sa illegal gambling, tumatanggap sila (It’s not only from flood control, they’re also receiving [kickbacks] from illegal gambling),” she told reporters.

When prompted, the Vice President named Romualdez, the President’s first cousin and close ally.

“So, hindi lang siya sa flood control. Baka kasi yung tao na nagtrabaho nung basura, flood control yung pera na tina-transport nila (So, it’s not just from flood control. Maybe the person that worked on the ‘trash’, they’re only transporting money from flood control),” she added.

Orly Guteza, a former security consultant of Ako Bicol Representative Zaldy Co, testified during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing last week that he regularly delivered luggage of cash, which they called “basura,” to the residences of Co and Romualdez.

Romualdez is the former campaign manager of the Vice President when she ran during the 2022 national elections. She later had a falling out with him and the President.