Sino ba ang tinatawag ng netizens na #LakwatSARA?
the word war between administration allies and Vice President Sara Duterte continue to escalate as f two members of the House of Representatives joined the fray, as they buck the criticisms made by the vice president against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for his administration’s alleged failure to fund the anti-flood projects in Davao City.
Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun and La Union Rep. Francisco Paolo Ortega both chided VP Duterte also for her negative insinuations in her statement on the leadership of President Marcos Jr., citing her trip to Germany during the height of the heavy rainfalls from the southwest monsoon and Typhoon Carina.
“Sino ba ang tinatawag ng mga netizens na #lakwatsara sa gitna ng malakas na ulan noong Carina? Hindi ba height ng irresponsibility yun, ikaw ang second-highest official of the land tapos maglalakwatsa ka sa kasagsagan ng ulan at bagyo? Tapos wala ka na nga sa bansa hanggang ngayon, panay pa ang reklamo mo,” Khonghun said.
“Mapapa-look who’s talking na lang talaga ang mga taong makakarinig ng criticisms ni VP sa ating Presidente. Nasaan ka noong kailangan ka ng mga mamamayan? Marked safe from Carina kasi nasa Germany? Sana all talaga,” he added.
Khonghun said VP Duterte’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, had a full six years to fund the flood control program, including Davao City.
In fact, he added that her brother, Davao City Rep. Pulong Duterte, had a P51 billion allocation for infrastructure projects during the last three years of his father’s term in Malacañang.
“Hindi ba ito nagamit sa flood control programs? Saan na nga ba napunta itong P51 billion na ito? Sa laki ng alokasyon na ito, kahit isa hindi nagamit sa flood control? Former President Duterte also had six years to accomplish this, pero we don’t hear the VP saying anything about her father’s failure,” the lawmaker from Zambales said.
Ortega said VP Duterte’s statements should be contextualized against the backdrop of recent calamities and the broader political framework.
“It is perplexing to hear such criticisms from the VP, particularly during a time when the nation was grappling with the adverse impacts of Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon. While these natural calamities were unfolding, VP Duterte was reported to be in Germany,” Ortega noted.
He said this raises concerns about the timing and focus of her commentary as the juxtaposition of her travels against a backdrop of national emergency “underscores a disconnect that merits scrutiny.”
“Para po kasing hindi bagay na manggaling sa kanya ang kritisismo kasi siya rin ay kinakikitaan ng pagkukulang. I believe it is unfair to President Marcos na nakita naman nating on top of the situation during the height of Carina,” Ortega said.
He also made mention of the flooding in Davao City in late June of this year, where both her brother, Mayor Baste Duterte, and their father, former President Duterte, were notably absent from the city, choosing instead to go to Tacloban City for alleged political purpose.
“This fact further complicates the VP's position, suggesting a pattern of absence during critical times that necessitated leadership and prompt response,” he said.
Ortega said the Duterte’s have been local chief executives of Davao City “for as long as we can remember,” and VP Duterte herself was once mayor.
“Given this background, the VP's recent criticisms appear to be not only misplaced but also reflective of a broader inconsistency in her political and administrative career,” Ortega said.
“Critiquing the current administration's efforts in flood management without acknowledging her administration’s shortcomings does not contribute constructively to the ongoing efforts to address these challenges,” he added.
Meanwhile, a Davao House leader and vice chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations on Sunday said Congress did its best to support the Department of Education (DepEd) budget amidst Vice President and former DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte's criticisms of the administration.
“As the DepEd budget sponsor for the past two years, I fought hard to have its budget approved with minimal revisions. But its implementation was carried out solely by the Department,” Davao De Oro 1st District Rep. Maria Carmen “Maricar” Zamora, also a former Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) member, said.
Zamora pointed to Filipino students' poor performance in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) as a reflection of the department’s ineffective management.
She said the Philippines ranked 77th out of 79 countries in reading comprehension, 78th in science, and 79th in mathematics.
“The root causes of our educational challenges remained even after the tenure of Vice President Duterte as Education Secretary. The minimal progress made undermines her credibility when she criticizes the Marcos administration,” Zamora said.
Despite fully funded projects and programs for 2023 and 2024, the Department of Education left much to improve teacher training, resource allocation, curriculum updates and critical thinking development.
“These ongoing issues highlight the need for more effective educational reforms made possible through concrete leadership,” Zamora said.
Zamora called on Vice President Sara Duterte to contribute solutions to the issues she recently raised by participating in open discussions.
“Vice President Sara Duterte must look at how she can help the country by being open to discussing how to solve its problems instead of assigning blame. Real leadership means offering solutions, not just criticisms,” the House leader from Davao said.
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