Duterte doubts House leadership change impact
Metro Manila, Philippines - Vice President Sara Duterte expressed doubt on the impact of the leadership change at the House of Representatives, saying the move may just be for show as people holding positions are still tied to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
In an interview in Davao City, Duterte said House Speaker Bojie Dy is allied with former Isabela lawmaker and now Gov. Rodito Albano, whom she said belongs to the circle of Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez.
Dy succeeded Romualdez on Wednesday, Sept. 17, after the Leyte lawmaker quit the speakership after his name was dragged into the flood control scandal.
“So iyong pagpapalit nila ng speaker diyan ay para lang iyan masabi ng mga tao na meron silang ginawa sa House of Representatives sa reklamo at sa galit ng mga tao. Pero ang totoo niyan ay sila lang din iyan. Grupo lang din iyan ni Martin Romualdez, ni Sandro Marcos, and of course, siyempre, papunta na rin yan kay BBM (Bongbong Marcos,)” said Duterte.
[Translation: So their replacement of the Speaker is just so people can say that they did something in the House of Representatives in response to the complaints and anger of the public. But the truth is, it's still the same people. It's still the same group of Martin Romualdez, Sandro Marcos, and, of course, ultimately, it all leads back to BBM (Bongbong Marcos)]
The vice president also said they are the same people planning what to do with the 2026 budget. Romualdez, former House appropriations chairman Zaldy Co, and two other lawmakers are facing criminal complaints over alleged insertions in the current budget.
Under Romualdez’s leadership, Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in February over supposed mismanagement of confidential funds and threats to the president’s family, among others.
The case was archived in the Senate in August after the Supreme Court declared it as unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, Duterte said there is “no stability” in the government, when asked about her views on the successive leadership changes in Congress.
Just last week, Sen. Tito Sotto replaced Chiz Escudero as Senate president after the latter’s campaign donor was dragged into the flood control mess.
“We saw how they abused the power and the institutions for their gains. Hindi lang iyan siya ngayon. Matagal na ako nagsasabi, yung budget. Yung budget, walang nakikinig sa akin. Kailangan pa lumubog sa baha yung mga kababayan natin bago merong nag-react na BBM ang pangalan,” Duterte said.
“Kaya really, truly, our economy is not in the very best. Whether ang ating political stability is down to negative 2, negative 3, even negative 10 siguro,” she added.
[Translation: We saw how they abused power and the institutions for their own gain. This isn't something new. I've been saying this for a long time - the budget. The budget - no one was listening to me. Our fellow citizens had to drown in floods before someone named BBM reacted. That's why, really, truly, our economy is not in a good place. Whether it's our political stability, it's probably already down to negative 2, negative 3, maybe even negative 10.]
Duterte also slammed Marcos for supposedly letting lawmakers “evade accountability” on budget controversies.
Asked for a reaction, the Palace said the president initiated the probe on flood control project anomalies.
“Dapat alam din niya na ang pagbiyahe ng mga mambabatas ay sakop ng House speaker o ng Senate president at hindi ng pangulo dahil may separation of powers,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said, hitting Duterte’s constant travels.
[Translation: She should also know that the trips of lawmakers are under the authority of the House speaker or Senate president, and not the president, since there is separation of powers.]
Duterte said she’s flying to Japan on Thursday to meet the Filipino community in Tokyo and Nagoya.
