Sara Duterte Slams Complaint Against Brother Pulong as Marcos Admin’s Political Maneuver

VP Sara Duterte Calls Pulong’s Legal Battle a Smokescreen by the Marcos Administration

SARA DUTERTE – Vice President Sara Duterte criticized the criminal complaint filed against her brother, Pulong, calling it a deliberate political maneuver by the Marcos administration to target their family.

Sara Duterte has dismissed the criminal complaint filed against her brother, Davao City Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, as a politically motivated attack orchestrated by the Marcos administration. The complaint, which includes accusations of physical injury and grave threats, was filed by a businessman who claims that Pulong assaulted him with a knife and beat him for almost two hours at a Davao City bar on February 23.

While in Zamboanga City on Saturday, Vice President Duterte stated that such legal actions are a deliberate attempt to distract the public from more significant national issues. She explained in an impromptu interview, “Every time nagkakaroon sila ng issue, malaking issue na kabalbalan na ginagawa nila, ang kanilang pang-cover sa mga issue na ito ay atakihin ‘yung kalaban nila sa politika.”

Duterte revealed that she has not yet spoken to her brother about the case and is uncertain whether their father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, is aware of the situation. The former president is currently in detention at Scheveningen Prison in The Hague, facing charges of crimes against humanity related to his administration’s controversial war on drugs.

The Department of Justice is currently reviewing the complaint, which alleges violations of Article 265 (Slight Physical Injuries) and Article 282 (Grave Threats) under the Revised Penal Code. The businessman’s sworn statement details how Pulong allegedly threatened him with a knife and physically assaulted him.

According to the report, Paolo Duterte has not publicly commented on the allegations but addressed the issue in a video on Facebook, telling his Davaoeño constituents in Cebuano, “Sa mga kapatid kong Davaoeño, ngayon may nakita na naman kayong video. Matagal-tagal na itong nangyari. Ah sige lang, nasa sa inyo pa rin ang desisyon kung sino ang inyong ibobotong congressman sa unang distrito. ‘Di ako makikialam.”

At the time of writing, Malacañang has yet to issue an official statement. The Duterte family continues to be a formidable political force, and this latest controversy further intensifies the political rivalry between their camp and the Marcos administration.