Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte recently fiercely responded to President Marcos's remarks on "stopping political activities," directly stating that he "should look in the mirror first." She pointed out that it is the Marcos camp that is truly engaging in political strife, while they are merely responding passively.
On July 7, during her visit to her detained father, former President Duterte, in The Hague, Netherlands, Sara met with supporters and delivered a speech, emphasizing that Marcos's call for "depoliticization" is merely a guise to cover up his political performance. "He talks about stopping political activities, but it is actually them who are leading the political offensive; we are just counterattacking."
She also spoke on behalf of the former presidential spokesperson and lawyer Harry Roque, stating that Roque became a target of the Marcos camp due to his close relationship with Duterte and his involvement with Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO), and thus applied for political asylum.
"We are not waging war, we are just defending ourselves," Sara stated, "It is them, not us, who should stop the political strife." She urged the government to refocus on the welfare of the people, rather than getting caught up in partisan conflicts.
Additionally, Sara announced that she will be absent from the State of the Nation Address on July 28, opting instead to attend the "Free Duterte Rally" in South Korea on July 23. She had also participated in a similar event in Australia, and the next one will be held in Kuwait on August 8.
