Vice President Sara Duterte criticized President Bongbong Marcos, asserting he is dealing with a “profound crisis of confidence” in addressing the alleged flood control corruption scheme, while voicing solidarity with Filipinos protesting against graft.
In a video message released Monday, Nov. 17, Duterte said the administration’s probe into accusations of siphoned public funds through infrastructure projects shows weak direction and determination.
Castro said Marcos had already initiated internal probes into corruption, including alleged “ghost projects” dating back to 2020, and urged Duterte to clarify issues involving the Department of Education during her leadership.
Duterte earlier alleged that billions of pesos were funneled through questionable budget insertions and said she resigned as education secretary after witnessing lawmakers’ alleged manipulation of agency funds.
Duterte resigned from DepEd in July 2024, a split that eventually fed into the now-archived impeachment complaint against her over the use of confidential funds.
Malacañang has repeatedly rejected Co’s allegations.
The Marcos administration on Monday strongly refuted Vice President Sara Duterte’s assertion that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is grappling with a “deep crisis of confidence,” arguing that she is attempting to present herself as blameless despite issues tied to her own tenure.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro dismissed Duterte’s claims after the vice president released a video accusing the administration of lacking direction in addressing corruption linked to the flood-control controversy.
She said she stands with citizens dismayed by what she described as government greed.
Since Nov. 16, Iglesia Ni Cristo — which endorsed both Duterte and Marcos in 2022 — has been holding “transparency rallies” in Manila.
Duterte earlier said she was not involved in the INC protests but stressed that public expression is central to democracy and must be acknowledged by the government.
The vice president also claimed she was aware of alleged budget manipulation during her time as education secretary but said she did not take part in any wrongdoing.
Her remarks followed claims by former House appropriations chair Zaldy Co, who accused Marcos of orchestrating the flood control anomaly by allegedly pushing multibillion-peso insertions into the 2025 budget.
Duterte questioned how a budget that purportedly deprived Filipinos of billions was approved under Marcos’ leadership.
Her statement came as Iglesia ni Cristo staged massive protests drawing more than 650,000 participants.
Meanwhile, in an interview with NewsWatch Plus, House Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio said Duterte’s camp appears to be leveraging accusations made by former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co against Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
However, Tinio noted the public has not been responsive, saying many also view the Duterte camp as implicated in corruption.
She warned that the president now faces a serious crisis of public trust and expressed solidarity with Filipinos angered by corruption.
