Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Shows Support for Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President came to the House Quad Committee hearing where her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, appeared as a resource person.
For the first time, former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte appeared at the House Quad Comm hearing over his administration’s war on drugs. He has repeatedly snubbed the hearing set in the lower chamber for different reasons.
There was an instance when Duterte was reportedly not feeling well so he skipped the hearing. His legal counsel has also admitted that the former President has “doubts” on the independence and integrity of the House Quad Comm.
Prior to his recent attendance to the inquiry, former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte claimed that going to Metro Manila for the House Quad Comm hearing will be costly for him. He stressed that he is dependent on his retirement pay.
Thus, the recent attendance of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte at the House Quad Comm hearing is undeniably unexpected. The mega panel decided to push through with the hearing upon knowing that the former President will appear at the inquiry despite an earlier decision to postpone it.
Also unexpected to be there at Batasang Pambansa was Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. She arrived at 4:30 p.m. and proceeded directly to the venue where the investigation of the Duterte war on drugs was held.
Former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte was answering the questions of the lawmakers for five (5) hours already when Vice Pres. Sara Duterte arrived. The hearing started at 10 o’clock in the morning.
At the hearing, the elder Duterte dared the International Criminal Court or ICC to come to the Philippines on the next day and start the investigation. The former President who was the one who made the decision on the exclusion of the country from the ICC said he might die without the ICC having to investigate him so they must come.
Following the appearance of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte at the House Quad Comm hearing, a lawmaker urged the Vice President to face a House inquiry into the budget use of her office. She has repeatedly snubbed the invitation after accusing that the hearings were allegedly politically-motivated to destroy her image.
Based on the report, Batangas Second District Rep. Gerville Luistro expressed her hope during an interview with TeleRadyo Serbisyo that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte will also show up at the hearings where she is really a resource person.
“Puwede naman pala, kaya naman pala niyang dumating at mag-stay until midnight. Sana itong kaniyang presence sa pagsuporta sa ating former president sa quad comm, sana naipapakita rin niya kung saan siya talaga invited na resource speaker,” Luistro said.
Prior to the hearing, former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte expressed a call to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte to leave politics.