Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Gives her Two Cents on Issue Involving DILG
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President reacted to the issue over the recent announcements of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) about the class suspension.
Pres. Bongbong Marcos has given the DILG the authority to declare class suspensions due to bad weather. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla previously sought the permission of the Chief Executive saying that a centralized order can help prevent delays in the information dissemination about the class suspensions.
Meanwhile, the DILG clarified that the local government units (LGUs) still have the authority to declare class suspensions. Previously, while studies about the proposal of Remulla are ongoing, Malacañang called on the LGUs to make prior announcements to avoid the students from getting caught under the heavy rainfall or amid the flood.
However, following the granting of an authority, the Department of Interior and Local Government was bashed on social media over its first announcement of a class suspension. Countless netizens did not find the playful Walang Pasok posts of the DILG funny citing that the country is amid a disaster.
Several Filipino celebrities including actor Jake Ejercito and Jessy Mendiola called out the DILG over their playful announcements of class suspensions. Countless netizens share the same sentiment with Ejercito and Mendiola citing the situation in the country.
DILG Sec. Jonvic Remulla has apologized over the said viral announcements but maintained that he will not change the way he communicates. According to him, he just wants to lessen the negativity and wants to make it appear and lite.
Recently, in The Hague, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was also asked about her side over the viral class suspension announcements of the DILG. The Vice President is in The Hague for scheduled visits to her father, former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
Based on a report on Inquirer, in The Hague, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte explained the clear line between the government office and the person who is leading it. She compared the DILG with the Office of the Vice President as she explains her take on the matter.
“Tulad lang din ‘yan nung sa Office of the Vice President. Merong Vice President at merong Office of the Vice President. Iba ‘yung institusyon, iba ‘yung tao. Kaya kami merong spokesperson for the Office of the Vice President kasi ‘yung institusyon meron silang mga ginagawa na trabaho, may projects, may serbisyo, at merong bosses… Kapag nandun ka, makikita mo very professional ‘yan sila. Pero pagdating naman sa vice president, ako, ‘yung tao, iba din ‘yung boses ko,” Duterte said.
According to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, she really checked if the announcements about the class suspension was posted on the official account of the DILG nor the Interior Secretary only. Based on the report, she stressed that the department really has to be professional as the notice was delivered through the official account of the government agency.
“So galing ‘yan sa DILG official account, they have to be professional. The person has the freedom of expression. An institution does not have the freedom of expression,” the Vice President said.
While in The Hague, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte recently slammed the Marcos administration anew for its response to the flood problems in the Philippines.