Vice President Sara Duterte accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday of treating her as a national security threat since 2023, after he warned that allegations of Chinese funding linked to her could pose a danger to the Philippines if substantiated.
Duterte said Marcos’ remarks during a press conference in Singapore on Sunday suggested that his administration had long viewed her as a threat.
“Nakakabahala ito na manggagaling yung ganyan na pahayag mula kay BBM dahil parang inamin na rin niya na simula noong 2023 ay itinuring nila akong threat,” Duterte told reporters during the Office of the Vice President’s 91st anniversary celebration in Mandaluyong City.
Marcos said the alleged Chinese money linked to Duterte was a serious national security concern, but stressed that authorities must establish the facts before drawing conclusions.
“The most disturbing aspect of it is the Chinese money. That now rises to a national security issue kung totoo,” Marcos said in Singapore on Sunday. He added that the allegations were being investigated.
The allegations surfaced during Duterte’s ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate, where Anti-Money Laundering Council Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura testified on 5 October that Cale88 Foods Corp., a company linked to Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, received P319.33 million in remittances from China and Hong Kong.
The remittances were identified in covered and suspicious transaction reports. Their existence, however, does not by itself establish that the money came from the Chinese government or that the transactions were illegal.
Duterte also questioned the implications of Marcos’ remarks for Philippine businesses that trade with China, saying the statement could cast suspicion on companies importing or exporting goods from the country.
“Parang sinasabi niya na yung mga nagninegosyo na merong trade sa China ay threat din sa bansa,” she said.
The vice president accused the administration of shifting its allegations against her from confidential funds and corruption to drugs and now alleged Chinese funding.
“Nag-impeachment na sila, walang ebidensyang lumabas. Gusto na nila tapusin yung impeachment prosecution nila dahil bumabagsak na yung kaso,” she said.
Scrap 2028 polls
Separately, Duterte alleged that the effort to remove her from office through impeachment was part of a plan that could culminate in the cancellation of the 2028 elections, linking the proceedings to a push for constitutional amendments.
She outlined what she claimed were three stages of the plan: impeachment, charter change and the eventual suspension of elections.
“Sabi ko ito ay impeachment, pangalawa ito ay charter change, at pangatlo ito ay no elections,” she said.
“Wina-warningan ko na kayo matagal na yan yun. Hindi lang siya halatang ganun yung kanilang ginagawa dahil pinaisa-isa nila yung kanilang steps,” she added.
Duterte currently faces a Senate impeachment trial over allegations that include the misuse of confidential funds and unexplained wealth.
She has repeatedly described the proceedings as politically motivated, while House prosecutors have presented financial records and witness testimony in support of the charges.
Marcos and Duterte ran together in the 2022 elections, but their relationship subsequently deteriorated, with the vice president now facing impeachment proceedings under the administration of her former political partner.
The 1987 Constitution provides for regular presidential and vice presidential elections every six years, on the second Monday of May. The next national elections are scheduled for 8 May 2028.
Stay informed
Get Daily Tribune in your inbox
Breaking news, opinion, and business coverage for readers in the Philippines and abroad.
Subscribe to the newsletterPrefer chat alerts? Join the Daily Tribune Viber community.