Vice President Sara Duterte believes President Marcos must be included in the corruption charges because he approved the 2025 national government budget.

In a media interview in Cebu City on Thursday, Nov. 13, Duterte made it clear: Marcos must be held liable and send himself to jail.

“Aminin na niya---aminin na niya na ano talaga--- meron siya pagkukulang. Hindi lang maliit na pagkukulang, malaking pagkukulang (He should admit he has had lapses. These were not small lapses, but big ones),” she said.

“Mayroon siyang malaking pagkukulang sa kanyang trabaho para sa ating bayan kaya pwede na niya ikulong ang sarili niya (He committed huge lapses in his work for our country that’s why he can imprison himself),” she went on.

The Vice President explained it was Marcos who signed into law the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) where budget insertions were made.

“Sa iyo palang, Presidente ka, pag dumating yan sa harap mo… meron kang mga tao na isa-isa, titingnan lahat yun. Tama ba ito? Tama ba ito? Bago mo siya pirmahan (You’re the President, so when that reaches your desk..you have people to go through it and check everything. Is this right? Before you sign it),” she said.

“Therefore, lahat ng mga anomalya doon, kasama iyong Pangulo. Kasi naging batas lang naman yun dahil sa pirma niya eh. Kung hindi niya pinirmahan iyon, hindi naging batas iyon. Hindi magagamit iyong pera (the President was part of all the anomalies there. It has become a law because of his signature. If he didn’t sign, it has not become a law. The money was not used),” she added.

Duterte was asked to comment on President Marcos’ statement that former Speaker Martin Romualdez has not yet been included in the first batch of case referrals made by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on the anomalous flood control projects.

There were 37 individuals, including lawmakers, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, and contractors, who are referred to the Office of the Ombudsman for corruption charges.

Marcos said that no evidence has so far pointed to the former Speaker for him to be included in the list of individuals implicated in the alleged irregular infrastructure projects.

But Duterte begged to disagree with the President as she maintained the former House speaker should be held liable for the flood control scandal.

She cited Congress had inserted items in the GAA that were not part of the National Expenditure Programs (NEP).

“Yun pa lang, ebidensya na yun. Doon pa lang, masasabi mo na, na itong congressman na ito, ay merong insertion---nakatanggap (That in itself is already evidence. You can say just from that this congressman had an insertion---he took money),” she said.

“So sino ba ang mag-uutos nun? Yung mga congressman na kung saan-saan lang? Siyempre yung leader, yung speaker (So who will order that? Congressmen from somewhere else? Of course, it was the leader, the speaker),” she pointed out.