Vice President Sara Duterte stormed through Manila this week, turning campaign rallies into battlegrounds against those who tried to impeach her. Standing on stages across the city, she didn’t mince words as she called out her enemies face-to-face in their own districts.
“I’m Sara Duterte, and I can fight anyone, even in the gutter,” she declared to crowds in Quiapo on Friday, her voice cutting through the humid air. The blunt statement drew cheers from supporters gathered to see both her and former Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.
The Vice President’s appearance at Moreno’s campaign events raised eyebrows across political circles. While Moreno seeks to reclaim Manila’s mayoral seat in the upcoming elections, Duterte used his platform to settle personal scores.
In Tondo on Thursday, she took direct aim at Manila Representative Rolando Valeriano, who chairs the committee that investigated her P125-million confidential fund controversy.
“Your congressman, that’s the face of your district,” she told the crowd, before mockingly imitating his voice. “His neck is so big that it’s choking his own voice.”
The next day in Quiapo, she targeted Representative Joel Chua who led the House probe into her alleged fund misuse. Duterte even brought an apple as a prop to endorse Chua’s opponent, Apple Nieto.
When a child asked for the apple she was holding, Duterte replied it was meant for Chua, adding a shocking comment about wanting to see harm come to her critic.
During these appearances, Duterte promoted “Dutert10” senatorial candidates from her father’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino party. She also explicitly endorsed former representative Carlo Lopez over Valeriano.
“You should choose a better face in your district,” she urged voters.
Senator Imee Marcos, who is seeking reelection, also received Duterte’s strong support. The Vice President highlighted how Senator Marcos differs from her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“Me and former president Rodrigo Duterte are different. He is not Inday Sara Duterte, while Bongbong Marcos is not Imee Marcos,” she explained, referencing a 2023 incident where Imee opposed constitutional changes supported by the President.
Duterte also warned the crowd against voting for administration candidates, claiming they would be supporting dishonesty.
Political analysts note that while Moreno leads in local polls and doesn’t necessarily need Duterte’s endorsement, their alliance offers mutual benefits. Moreno gains exposure to Duterte’s base, while she gets a platform to attack her critics directly in their home districts.
As the election season heats up, this aggressive campaigning style signals that personal vendettas may play a larger role than policy discussions in shaping voter choices.
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