VP Sara on 2022 presidency: ‘It was mine already’

FILE – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., center right, and Vice President Sara Duterte daughter of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, raise hands during the inauguration ceremony at National Museum on Thursday, June 30, 2022 in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)

MANILA, Philippines — “The presidency of 2022 was mine already.”

Vice President Sara Duterte responded on Saturday to Rep. Jay Khonghun’s claim that the recent issues could have been avoided if she hadn’t aimed to become president so early.

“The presidency of 2022 was mine already. Na nanalo na ako sa surveys. Lahat ng tao, solid na, united na for my candidacy (The presidency of 2022 was mine already. I led the surveys. Everyone was united for my candidacy.),” Duterte said in an ambush interview on Saturday at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City.

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Khonghun previously said: “Nagsimula lang naman lahat ng kaguluhang ito noong mangarap ang ating bise presidente na maging presidente nang maaga (All this mess started when the vice president aspired to be a president early on.).”

She also said that she did not pursue the presidency in the 2022 elections to focus on other things.

“Pero, I gave it away because I felt I had to do some other things other than being president of the Republic of the Philippines,” Duterte added.

Despite topping major surveys for presidency in the 2022 polls, Duterte originally sought re-election for the mayoral bid in the 2022 before withdrawing to formalize her vice presidential bid.

Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos who were under the same “Uniteam” ticket in the 2022 polls are seemingly caught up in a political turmoil.

Tension further rose when Duterte held an online press conference last Saturday where she said that if she was killed, she ordered the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. She also claimed that the order was “no joke.”

Meanwhile, Duterte pointed out that she should not be gaslighted into thinking that she is the reason behind all the political tensions.

“‘Di ako yung nagsabi sa kanila na magbukas ng investigation or inquiry in aid of legislation that is more likely a political persecution and harassment of OVP personnel so wag nila ako i-gaslight into saying na ako ang dahilan ng kaguluhan na ito (I was not the one who told them to open an investigation or inquiry in aid of legislation that is more likely a political persecution and harassment of OVP personnel so they should not gaslight me into saying that I am the reason for this mess.),” Duterte stated.

Previous hearings had been probing the alleged misuse of the confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

A House probe found out that the OVP and the Department of Education submitted about 4,500 of acknowledgement receipts to the Commission on Audit to explain how they used P612.5 million of confidential funds.