Statement of Malacañang on Recent Criticisms of VP Sara Duterte
Malacañang press officer undersecretary Claire Castro hit back at Vice President Sara Duterte’s criticism on the response of the Marcos Jr. administration to the Middle East war.
Recently, during an interview, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte slammed the Marcos Jr. admin for the alleged lack of urgency in repatriating Filipinos affected by the Middle East war. The Vice President emphasized that the safety of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) should be the top priority of the Philippine government amid the situation.
Duterte claimed that the Philippine government should have acted more swiftly. According to her, sending planes to bring home affected OFWs amid the escalating conflict between Iran and the United States is easy if officials had made it a priority.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte also argued that logistical challenges should not be used as an excuse to defend the alleged inaction of the Philippine government. According to the Vice President, the country is capable of deploying aircraft for evacuation if the resources are properly allocated and decisions are made promptly.
“Napakadaling magpadala ng eroplano eh, sa totoo lang. Alam niyo ba nung COVID na panahon, madami ang na stranded na mga taga-Davao City dito sa Manila. Napakadali. Nangontrata kami ng commercial airline… Ilang beses naming ginawa ‘yun,” Duterte said.
When the war broke, Pres. Bongbong Marcos asked the Filipinos in the affected areas to seek shelter for safety. The President stressed that immediate mass repatriation was allegedly not possible then due to closed airports and the dangerous flight situations.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte also underscored the alleged need for clear evacuation protocols, including the coordination with the concerned entities to ensure the safety of the OFWs. The Vice President stressed that many of these Filipino workers are breadwinners who have families who depend on their income. According to her, the government must also provide reintegration support once they are back home.
“Hindi ganyan kahirap kahirap magpadala ng eroplano kung saan man, saan mo gusto kumuha or mag-rescue ng tao… ‘Yung isang kaibigan ko galing Dubao, papauwi na siya… Siguro limitado, pero hindi sarado,” the Vice President claimed.
Recently, Malacañang reacted to the criticism of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte over the alleged lack of urgency in repatriating Filipinos from the countries affected by the Middle East war. According to News5, Palace press officer undersecretary Claire Castro stressed that it is allegedly the problem with those who supposedly do not know the programs of the government.
“‘Yan ang problema sa mga hindi nag-aaral at hindi nag-iisip at hindi inaalam ano talaga ang programa ng gobyernong ito,” the Malacañang press official said.
Based on the post, Atty. Claire Castro stressed that the opinion of a leader should allegedly be based on truth and the condition of the stakeholders and not from a friend. The Malacañang claimed that the country might have allegedly fell if the decisions are made through friends’ statements.
“Kung diyan po manggagaling ang iyong desisyon, malamang lumigwak, lumigwak ang buong Pilipinas kung puro kaibigan, puro tsismis lang po ang ating pagbabasehan ng desisyon,” the Malacañang press official expressed.
Recently, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in New York for a two-day working visit. He is set to meet with an official of the United Nations to discuss about the Middle East tension.