Vice President Sara Duterte on Sunday, March 9, urged voters to be critical in choosing the right leaders, admitting that she herself was tricked into forming the UniTeam alliance in 2022.
Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to overseas Filipino workers who attend the "Pasasalamat kay PRRD" event in Hong Kong. (Photo from DZAR 1026 SMNI Radio via Facebook)
Speaking before overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) at the “Pasasalamat kay PRRD with OFWS” at the Southorn Stadium in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, the official lamented how she was made to believe in the message of “unity” and “continuity.”
“Nabudol ako (I was scammed),” Duterte pointed out during the event that was livestreamed by SMNI News.
“Akala ko kasi gusto nya ng mas magandang bayan, mas maayos na Pilipinas kung ano iyong pinagdaanan natin noon kasi ang plataporma namin nung tumakbo kami, unity at continuity (I thought he wanted a better country like what we experienced before because our platform was unity and continuity),” she explained, without mentioning President Marcos’ name.
The event was held for the campaign sortie of the Duterte-backed Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) senatorial candidates.
While this was not the first time, Duterte apologized for her 2022 mishap.
“So, iyon ‘yung kailangan ko ihingi ng pasensya sa inyong lahat (I need to apologize to you for that),” she said.
Referencing Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy, who is also running as senator under PDP-Laban, the Vice President said that everything happened to teach Filipinos a lesson.
“Kawawa lang siguro ang mga tao, ang bayan pero (The Filipinos and country have suffered but) if we talk about the divine, maybe there is a reason for what’s happening,” she added.
She then urged voters to be critical when choosing the rightful leaders, and said that she will not endorse candidates anymore.
But during the kick-off rally for PDP-Laban candidates at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan last month, the event hosts read a message from the Vice President endorsing her father’s senatorial bets.
“Kaya siguro dapat sa darating na halalan, pag-isipan na natin ang ating iboboto (In the next elections, let us think about who we will vote),” she said.
“Sabi ko nga sa nyo, nadala na ako, nai-scam na ako, nabudol na ako. Hindi ako mag-endorso ng kandidato kasi baka pagkatapos ng eleksyon sasabihin nyo na naman, ‘nai-scam ang Inday Sara dahil sa sayo (I told you, I was scammed, I was hoodwinked. I will not endorse candidates because after the elections, you might say again that Inday Sara was scammed because of you),” Duterte added.
She lamented how Filipino voters have chosen their leaders, and gave them advice on how to pick the right candidates.
“Ang problema sa atin, ang pinipili natin ay paulit-ulit, pabalik-balik lang. Mahilig tayo sa sikat, mahilig tayo sa magaling kumanta, sumayaw dito sa stage, mahilig tayo sa nagpapa-amuse, nagpapatawa sa atin (Our problem is we choose the same candidates. We favor popular candidates, we favor those who sing and dance here on the stage, those who amuse us, those who make us laugh),” she bemoaned.
“Hindi natin tinitingan kung ano ba iyong totoong karakter sa likod ng mukha nya sa TV. Ganyan tayo, ang ugali ng mga Pilipinong botante (We don’t look at the character of the person behind the TV. That’s the attitude of Filipino voters).”
'Ayuda' payout
She asked the OFWs there not to sell their votes because there is now “legitimate vote-buying” through “ayuda (aid).”
She cited the experience of a “friend” during the last barangay elections, where “ayuda” was given to the barangay captain to distribute to their supporters and not the intended beneficiaries of the government’s aid programs.
“Ang sabi ko sa kanya, ‘hindi ko magawa na ganyan ‘yung suporta na ibigay ko sa mga local barangay candidates pero totoo ‘yan na nangyayari. Nakikita nyo ‘yan doon sa mga probinsya nyo (I told the person, I cannot give that same support to local barangay candidates but that’s happening. You see that in your provinces),” Duterte added.
The Vice President, likewise, asked the audience to check if the their chosen candidates have fulfilled their promises before voting for them again.
Political dynasty
While she admitted that she was a product of a political dynasty—her grandfather was a Cabinet member during the Marcos Sr. years, her father is a former president, and brothers are congressman and mayor—she told the audience not to vote for a Duterte simply because of their surname.
“Kailangan pag-isipan din natin, Duterte ito pero ano ang matutulong nya, ano ang magagawa nya para sa bayan? Kaya hindi na pwede pabalik-balik na apelido lang ang binoboto natin (We need to think, this is a Duterte but how can he help, what can he do for the country? We cannot vote for the same surnames),” she said.
Instead, the official urged voters to look at the senatorial candidates’ character, accomplishments, abilities, and capacities.