Vice President Sara Duterte criticized the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, saying the massive gathering of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) members along EDSA reflected the growing public dissatisfaction she has been raising since last year.
In a statement, Duterte said the rally highlighted what she described as the government’s failure to address the country’s most pressing concerns, including rising prices, job insecurity, and the increasing cost of living.
“This administration has been defined by poor governance and its failure to acknowledge and address the country’s real problems. While countless of our kababayans struggle with rising prices, job insecurity, and the increasing cost of daily life, the President has remained detached from the hardships confronting Filipinos,” she said.
She accused the Marcos administration of focusing on silencing critics instead of responding to the needs of ordinary Filipinos.
“Instead of confronting these challenges with solutions, the administration has chosen to silence dissent under the guise of accountability,” she added.
Thousands of INC members gathered along EDSA on Tuesday, causing heavy traffic in parts of Metro Manila. The rally came a day after the Office of the Ombudsman announced it would file a plunder case against Senator Rodante Marcoleta, an INC member.
Duterte alleged that the administration has been weaponizing the justice system against political opponents.
“By filing cases against and imprisoning individuals who dare speak out against alleged corruption and abuses in Malacañang, the administration raises serious concerns about the state of free expression, democratic accountability, and the shrinking space for legitimate political dissent,” she said.
The Vice President also questioned President Marcos’ leadership, saying his administration has fostered what she described as an increasingly oppressive political climate.
“The President’s failures of character and leadership have fostered an increasingly oppressive political environment. A government that answers criticism with intimidation undermines the very democratic institutions it is sworn to protect,” Duterte said.
She added that the issue goes beyond politics and concerns the country’s democratic institutions and the welfare of Filipinos.
Duterte’s statement comes days before her impeachment trial is set to begin on July 6.
Marcoleta, meanwhile, has maintained that the plunder charges filed against him are politically motivated and linked to the upcoming impeachment proceedings against the Vice President.
