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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Ask PBBM what he is doing to help Pinoys amid Middle East crisis—VP Sara

Ask PBBM what he is doing to help Pinoys amid Middle East crisis—VP Sara

Published Apr 9, 2026 04:39 pm
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)
Vice President Sara Duterte suggested that President Marcos be asked what actions he is taking to address the impacts of the Middle East conflict on the country.
When asked what the government must further do to cushion the effects of the ongoing crisis, Duterte said the President must be asked what he is doing to help affected Filipinos.
"Ano ba dapat ang ginagawa ng pamahalaan? Dapat tanungin natin ang ating Pangulo, ano ba ang ginagawa niya para tulungan ang mga kababayan natin na tinatamaan o nahihirapan dahil dito sa epekto ng krisis sa Middle East (What should the government be doing? We should ask our President: what is he doing to help our fellow Filipinos who are being affected or are struggling because of the impact of the crisis in the Middle East)?" Duterte said in an interview in Davao City on Thursday, April 9.
When asked if there is still a chance for oil prices to go down, the Vice President said that as long as the conflict in the Middle East continues, fuel prices will keep rising.
"Mapapababa siya kung gagawan nila ng paraan yung problema sa supply doon sa Middle East. Or mapapababa siya kung meron ibang supply na hindi dumadaan sa Middle East na papasok sa ating bayan (Prices can go down if they find a way to address the supply problem in the Middle East. They can also go down if there are alternative sources of supply that do not pass through the Middle East but still enter our country)," she said.

'Unaware of programs, actions'

Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro reminded the Vice President that she is part of the government and criticized her for being unaware of the actions being undertaken to cushion the effects of the Middle East crisis.
"'Yan ang problema kay VP Sara, hindi niya alam ang programa, kautusan at mga nagawa at ginagawa ng pamahalaan (That is the problem with VP Sara, she is unaware of the programs, directives, and actions that the government has undertaken and is currently carrying out)," Castro said when sought for reaction.
"Parte si VP Sara ng pamahalaan, pero wala siyang alam na solusyon sa mga kasalukuyang isyu kundi manira lang (VP Sara is part of the government, yet she has no solutions to current issues and resorts only to criticism)," Castro added.
The Palace mouthpiece stressed that attacks coming from Duterte "will not help address the ongoing crisis in the Middle East."
"Trabaho ang dapat na ginagawa sa panahon ngayon hindi ang pagkakalat nila ng sarili nilang baho (What is needed now is work, not the spreading of their own controversies)," Castro said.

Related Tags

Vice President Sara Duterte President Marcos Middle East conflict Claire Castro
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