VP SARA
EXPECTED NOSEDIVE
TWO House leaders said the continuously nosediving trust and performance ratings of Vice President Sara Duterte is to be expected given her continued evasion of answering important questions surrounding her alleged public funds misuse.
Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. and Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe both said the plummeting ratings of VP Duterte as reported in the latest OCTA Research survey is an expression of the Filipino’s continuing distrust in the Vice President’s alleged lack of transparency and accountability.
“It is expected. Pera ng taumbayan ang ginastos niya na hanggang ngayon ay hindi niya ipinapaliwanag at balot na balot sa kontrobersiya,” Gonzales said.
“Simple lang ang mga tanong: pakipaliwanag ang paggamit ng confidential funds noong DepEd Secretary pa siya at ‘yung mga safehouses na binayaran ng P16 million para lamang sa 11 araw. Para sa mga kababayan nating nagbabayad ng buwis, dapat ay sinasagot niya ito,” Gonzales added.
Gonzales pointed out the issues surrounding the alleged P15 million intended for a youth leadership summit, which the military later denied receiving, and the P16 million spent on safehouses in just 11 days during the last quarter of 2022 as key factors contributing to the erosion of public trust.
“Ang ating mga kababayan ay naghihintay ng paliwanag. We are a democracy that values transparency, especially in public spending. Hindi dapat balewalain ang mga tanong ng publiko,” he emphasized, adding that the Vice President’s refusal to address these matters only raises more doubts.
For his part, Dalipe, highlighted the impact of Duterte’s controversies on her ability to lead.
“Mahirap magpanatili ng pagtitiwala ng bayan kapag maraming tanong ang hindi sinasagot. Her role as a top leader in the government requires accountability. Kung hindi niya kayang ipaliwanag ang mga ito, it’s only natural for the people to lose trust,” Dalipe stated.
The lawmakers agreed that Duterte’s recent OCTA Research survey results, which show a six-point drop in trust to 59 percent and an eight-point decline in performance to 52 percent, reflect a crisis in her public image.
“From 87 percent trust rating noong Marso 2023 to 59 percent ngayon, that’s a significant fall,” Dalipe pointed out. “That means something is wrong with how the public perceives her leadership.”
Dalipe stressed that Duterte’s declining ratings in key regions like the National Capital Region and Balance Luzon, where her trust rating dropped by 13 and 9 points respectively, show that her support is shrinking beyond Mindanao.
“Kung hindi siya kikilos para linawin ang mga isyu, she will continue to lose ground, especially in areas where she enjoyed broader support before,” he said.
