Vice President Sara Duterte’s statement that Filipinos have the right to be mad at the government has drawn a sharp response from Malacañang, which questioned whether she held the same stance during her father’s administration. Presidential Press Officer Atty. Claire Castro noted that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. had no reaction to Duterte’s remarks but pointed out that such criticism should not come from someone within the same institution.
“Noong panahon ba ng kanyang ama, nagsabi rin po ba siya na maaari po kayong magalit? Lalo na noong ang kanyang ama ay nabansagan at kinilala bilang ‘Most Corrupt’ noong 2017?” (“During her father’s time, did she ever say that people had the right to be mad? Especially when her father was labeled and recognized as the ‘Most Corrupt’ in 2017?”), Castro said, referring to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s designation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
Meanwhile, looking back at the past allegations of corruption and abuses during the presidency of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, it is notable that in 2017, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) named him the “Most Corrupt Person of the Year.” The OCCRP identifies individuals who have significantly contributed to organized crime and corruption globally, highlighting Duterte’s alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings, human rights violations, and the suppression of the rule of law.
The selection panel of nine international journalists, scholars, and activists cited Duterte’s violent war on drugs, which reportedly led to thousands of deaths, as a key reason for the dishonor. The OCCRP also pointed to his public endorsements of vigilantism and disregard for legal accountability as factors that cemented his selection. Duterte surpassed other controversial figures, including South African President Jacob Zuma and Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, in the rankings.
This renewed scrutiny on the Duterte administration revives lingering concerns about past governance and the impact of policies that shaped the country from 2016 onward. While Vice President Duterte emphasizes the people’s right to express dissatisfaction with the government, the Palace’s response shifts the narrative back to the Duterte era, raising questions about political accountability and the long-term consequences of past leadership, even as the younger Duterte faces an impending impeachment trial in the Senate.
