Sara Duterte: So, who’s behind attacks against me? It’s Marcos.

'Sino ang nasa likod ng paninira sa akin? Administrasyon. Ang Palasyo, si BBM,' Duterte says as she denies Gracioso’s allegations of multimillion-peso deliveries Vice President Sara Duterte is facing allegations of corruption linked to former cop Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., which she attributes to a smear campaign orchestrated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his administration. Duterte denies the allegations, claiming Gracioso is lying and motivated by personal grievances, while the Palace asserts that she is responsible for her own predicament due to her actions. Duterte is currently undergoing an impeachment trial, and if convicted, she could be removed from office and barred from future political positions, raising questions about her continued blame on Marcos for her misfortunes. This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors. Vice President Sara Duterte, the country’s second-highest official, has a pattern of linking her misfortunes to former ally President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Now that she is facing allegations involving millions of pesos in deliveries by former cop Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., Duterte points to no one but her 2022 presidential candidate. “Sino ang nasa likod ng paninira sa akin? Administrasyon. Ang Palasyo, si BBM (Bongbong Marcos). Makikita ‘nyo naman ‘yong mga declarations, mga statements ng Office of the President eh. ‘Di ba? Andiyan pa ‘yong impeachment nila,” Duterte said during a press conference in Davao City on Tuesday, October 6. (Who’s behind the smear campaign against me? The administration. The Palace, BBM. You will see in the declarations, statements of the Office of the President, right? They still have their impeachment.) Gracioso, in his eight-page affidavit submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation, claimed that he delivered millions of pesos to the Vice President when she was Davao City mayor. This happened more than 10 times, alleged the dismissed cop. He also claimed that the money came from Duterte ally, former House speaker Lord Allan Velasco, while former Davao City information officer Jefry Tupas allegedly received it on Duterte’s behalf. “Kung makikita ‘nyo, ang ginagawa ng communications ng administrasyon, lahat no’ng bahid na katiwalian na dapat sagutin ni BBM ay pinapahid niya sa akin. So ang ginawa nila, ‘Oh, para ano, sabihin na siya din, gawa tayo ng [issue].’ Ang hindi nila alam, nagsisinungaling si Gracioso kaya nga nakikita ‘yong mga kasinungalingan doon sa archives,” Duterte added. (As you can see, the administration’s communications team is throwing all the corruption allegations facing BBM at me. They thought, “Let’s drag her into it, let’s make an issue out of it.” What they do not know is that Gracioso is lying, as shown by the archives.) Duterte devoted more than an hour of her press conference to denying Gracioso’s allegations. She said the former cop was motivated by his anger toward the Velascos and by money. But for Malacañang, Duterte is responsible for her own predicament. Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the allegations facing the Vice President stemmed from her own actions. “Kung may sumisira man kay Bise Presidente, siya ang may kagagawan no’n sa sarili niya. Sila ang nakinabang sa bawat sentimo na nakukuha nila o nadedeposito sa kanilang accounts ng mga banyaga at ‘di umanong drug lords,” Castro told Rappler in a message. “Ang sarap at pagpapasasa ay nasa kanila kaya, huwag magturo sa iba kapag nagkakabulgaran na ng mga anomalya. Panindigan nila ang mga ginawa nila,” she added. (If there is anything damaging the Vice President, it is her own actions. They are the ones who benefited from every centavo they received or deposited into their accounts from foreign entities and alleged drug lords. They benefited from it, so they should not blame others when they are exposed. They should stand by their actions.) Again, it was no surprise that Duterte dragged Marcos’ name into the Gracioso allegations. Just last month, on September 7, Duterte said in a video statement that the sufferings of many Filipinos, including the widespread floodings, hunger, and high commodity prices, were caused by no less than the administration she backed in 2022. Duterte is facing a grave threats case before Quezon City Regional Trial Court due to her alleged assassination threat against Marcos and his family. She posted bail on September 5 and claimed she did not feel safe in the country. Then two days later, on September 7, she accused the Marcos government of “child abuse” because law enforcers allegedly subjected even her children to continued “surveillance.” Duterte’s own father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, is facing trial at the International Criminal Court due to his drug war that killed thousands of citizens, including women and children. Duterte is now in the middle of her impeachment trial. If convicted, she will be removed as vice president and barred from holding public office – and from seeking the presidential seat in 2028. And if this comes to pass, will Marcos once again be named as the convenient culprit – her erstwhile ally and old friend who somehow remains responsible for her every new misfortune? – Rappler.com How does this make you feel? Loading