Rappler
Sara Duterte rejects resignation calls: ‘32 million Filipinos put me here’
Vice President Sara Duterte has rejected calls for her resignation, stating she answers to the 32 million Filipinos who elected her, not to a few lawmakers.
Her response came amid scrutiny at the House of Representatives concerning alleged misuse of funds during her time as Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary.
Duterte held a press briefing on Wednesday, September 25, to address the issue, surprising reporters due to her office's previous evasiveness.
During the briefing, she described former DepEd undersecretary Gloria Mercado, who testified against her, as a "disgruntled" employee.
Mercado had claimed Duterte gave her nine envelopes containing P50,000 each, and presented these envelopes as evidence during the House probe.
The Vice President accused Mercado of soliciting P16 million from a private company without her consent and challenged her to provide evidence for the envelope claims.
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Vice President Sara Duterte stated that she has not yet formed or plans to endorse a Senate slate for the 2025 midterm elections as her current focus is on defending the Office of the Vice President.
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Former Education Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil Mercado claims that Vice President Sara Duterte's chief-of-staff asked her to resign after she raised concerns regarding the procurement for DepEd's computerization program.
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Progressive groups, including Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), are calling for the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
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Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel criticized Vice President Sara Duterte for her absence during the plenary debate on the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) 2025 budget, calling it a betrayal of public trust.
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House Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. asserted that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under Vice President Sara Duterte will not be crippled by its reduced 2025 budget of P733 million, ensuring sufficient funds for its constitutional duties.
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