MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos online are calling for the removal of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the statements she made at a virtual press conference on Saturday morning, November 23 — topped by a virtual admission that she had arranged the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife, and his cousin — showed she was no longer fit to serve in government.

Some netizens said that Duterte threw a “tantrum” after her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, suffered an anxiety attack while the latter gave an unauthorized press conference via Zoom from her detention room at the House of Representatives past 12 am on Saturday. The House committee on good government had ordered her transfer to the Women’s Correctional Facility in Mandaluyong City.

Social media users said Duterte’s actions were supposedly “unbecoming of a government official” and showed that she “can’t be a leader.”

One user described her actions at the news briefing as throwing a “tantrum” over the fate of her chief of staff.

Others, including journalist Regine Cabato, pointed out that the Vice President’s news briefing was similar to the rambling midnight addresses of her father, then-president Rodrigo Duterte, to the nation.

Journalist Barnaby Lo and former Bayan Muna congressman Teddy Casiño also observed that Duterte continued to shun the House probe into her alleged fund misuse but chose to stay in the House office of her brother, Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte, since Thursday, November 21, to be accessible to her detained chief of staff.

During a House briefing for the Office of the Vice President’s 2025 budget in August, Duterte dodged questions about her office’s use of confidential funds. This prompted Filipinos online to put the hashtag #ZeroBudgetForOVP among trending topics on social media at the time. 

In a House good government hearing in October on her alleged misuse of public funds, Duterte refused to take her oath and left the proceedings even before lawmakers could throw questions at her.

Former senator Leila de Lima said the Duterte siblings “flouted the House’s authority when the VP, after not being allowed to spend the night with her detained COS, instead locked herself inside his brother’s office until morning.”

‘’Wag kayong bakla’

There were also tension between Duterte and members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) when Lopez was being transferred to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMCC)on Saturday morning after she collapsed and experienced nausea. The Vice President came with Lopez in the ambulance.

During the exchange, Duterte told the PNP personnel, “‘Wag kayong bakla (Don’t act gay),” drawing the ire social media users who questioned the Vice President’s derogatory use of the word.

Filipinos online also pointed out the irony of the comment, as Duterte said in 2022 that she “loves the LGBT” community because she identifies as a member of the LGBT community as well. 

Follow whose orders?

Meanwhile, defenders of Duterte insisted that police personnel should follow the “lawful orders” of the Vice President in relation to Lopez, claiming that Duterte has “crucial authority to override any order.” Being a House detainee, however, Lopez’s movements should be authorized by Chua’s panel.

Later on Saturday, the House panel issued a memorandum directing the return of Lopez to the VMMC.

Read more on Rappler’s coverage of the House probe into the OVP’s alleged misuse of funds below:

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– Rappler.com