VICE PRESIDENT Sara Duterte’s recent criticism that likened the Marcos administration to a dumpster fire drew a sharp response from Malacañang.
“At this point, we should be working our way up, but it seems that we are working to go to the dumpster,” she told supporters and reporters outside the ICC detention facility in The Hague.
“We are already mired in poverty,” Duterte stated, reiterating her “dumpster” analogy. “People see no hope because they see no hope in the government.”
When asked if people see hope in her, the vice president emphasized the necessity of ensuring victory in any political bid.
“Running requires winning. You have to ensure victory, otherwise, it’s a hopeless case,” she said. “It’s difficult to give people hope when you know you won’t succeed in your candidacy. You have to ensure victory to meet people’s expectations.”
Duterte also revealed that she was advised to make a decision about a potential 2028 candidacy by December 2026 to allow sufficient time for campaign organization.
When pressed about a potential run if assured of victory, she replied, “That we have to see by the numbers, and by science and by mathematics,” with a smile.
The remark, made during an interview in The Hague, Netherlands, was addressed by
Palace press officer USec. Claire Castro suggested that the vice president’s absence from the country may have influenced her perception of the administration’s performance.
“If she doesn’t see the administration doing anything, it’s probably because she is abroad. The President is here in our country, in the Philippines, working. While the vice president is missing,” Castro said.
Duterte has previously indicated that she will only return to the Philippines after the International Criminal Court (ICC) appoints all of her father’s defense lawyers.
