Metro Manila, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte said the “real pressure” she faces is not her impeachment trial or criminal cases, but the feeling that she is not doing enough to help Filipinos struggling with floods, hunger, and rising prices.
In a statement on Monday, Sept.7, Duterte thanked supporters who had expressed concern over her legal troubles but told them not to worry about the impeachment proceedings and cases against her.
“Ang totoong pressure ay ang kahihiyan na napakaliit ng aking naitutulong sa pagdurusa ninyo ngayon,” Duterte said.
[Translation: The real pressure is the shame of knowing how little I am able to do to ease your suffering right now.]
Duterte said she felt that her efforts were insufficient as people deal with flooding, hunger, and the rising cost of basic goods.
“Sa bawat paglangoy ninyo sa baha, sa kagutuman ng inyong mga anak, sa hirap na dinaranas ninyo dahil sa patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin, at iba’t ibang pasaning dulot ng administrasyon ni Marcos – nararamdaman kong hindi sapat ang aking nagagawa upang maibsan ang inyong paghihirap,” she said.
[Translation: Every time you have to wade through floodwaters, every time your children go hungry, and as you struggle with the continuing rise in prices and other burdens under the Marcos administration, I feel that what I am doing is not enough to ease your hardship.]
Duterte also accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and some government officials of putting their own interests ahead of the people, and cited the weakening peso as another source of pressure.
She noted that the peso had fallen to ₱62.77 against the US dollar. The peso weakened to as much as ₱62.775 to $1 in intraday trading Monday, before closing at ₱62.586, slightly stronger than Friday’s record-low close of ₱62.59.
Duterte’s statement came two days after she posted ₱360,000 bail before a Quezon City court over three counts of grave threats.
The court had found probable cause to hold her for trial and set bail at ₱120,000 for each count.
She is also facing an impeachment trial at the Senate.
Duterte accused the Marcos administration of political harassment and claimed the President controls senators, prosecutors, judges and police. She did not provide evidence for the allegation in her statement.
“Hawak man ni Marcos ang mga senador, fiscal, huwes, at mga pulis, napakaraming abogado naman ang tumutulong sa akin upang ipaglaban at mapanalo ang mga kasong ito,” Duterte said.
[Translation: Even if Marcos controls the senators, prosecutors, judges and police, many lawyers are helping me fight and win these cases.]
