From left to right: President Ferdinand Marcos, Vice President Sara Duterte, and House speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez | PHOTO: AFP, FB pages of Sara Duterte and House of Representatives

MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers and local officials from Eastern Visayas have defended President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez amid verbal attacks and threats from Vice President Sara Duterte.

In a statement on Tuesday, Leyte Rep. Anna Victoria Veloso-Tuazon, Biliran Rep. Gerardo Espina Jr., and Samar Reps. Reynolds Michael Tan and Stephen James Tan along with 45 officials from the region called Duterte’s words an “insult” to the two Waray leaders of the country.

“We, the undersigned local government leaders of Eastern Visayas, express our profound indignation at the malicious, baseless, and reckless accusations made by Vice President Sara Duterte against Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez,” they said.

“Vice President Duterte’s unfounded allegations also insult the Romualdez legacy, which extends to President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., who shares Waray blood through his mother, former first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos,” they added.

According to the officials, Duterte’s statements go beyond political attacks as these also “destabilize the unity of the administration” and “erode the trust of the Filipino people.”

Last Friday, Duterte visited her chief of staff, Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, who was detained at the House premises after she was cited for contempt by a panel probing the alleged misuse of the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) confidential funds (CF). Instead of leaving the House after visiting hours, the Vice President locked herself inside the office of her brother, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte.

Due to the security problems that come with Duterte staying inside the Batasang Pambansa, the House committee on good government and public accountability decided to transfer Lopez to the Correctional Institute for Women.

After this, Duterte held a press briefing early Saturday morning, where she threw profanities at President Marcos, first lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and Romualdez.

Duterte also said she already tasked someone to assassinate the President, his wife, and Romualdez in case she gets killed.

“We call on Vice President Duterte to cease these baseless accusations and instead focus on the responsibilities entrusted to her by the Filipino people,” the manifesto said. It emphasizes that her actions “have no place in a nation striving for unity and progress,” Eastern Visayas officials said.

“Eastern Visayas stands united behind Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. Their leadership is a source of pride for the Waray people and a symbol of hope for the entire nation,” they added.

READ: Sara Duterte’s kill remark vs Marcos is ‘active threat’ – Palace 

Duterte’s outburst came after the House committee on good government and public accountability continued its investigation into the CFs of the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd) under Duterte’s watch following several observations from the Commission on Audit (COA).

The COA issued a notice of disallowance on P73.2 million of the office’s P125-million CF for 2022 — an item which several lawmakers said should not be available in the first place as the original budget crafted during the time of former vice president Leni Robredo did not have this item.

READ: Sara Duterte’s confidential fund spending raises new, more doubts

Regarding DepEd, there have been questions about the low number of classrooms constructed while Duterte was education secretary.

Eventually, it was revealed that the DepEd under Duterte supposedly made it seem that their CFs were used for a youth training program when it was the Armed Forces of the Philippines and local government units that shouldered the expenses.

There are also fears that fictitious personalities — such as a certain Mary Grace Piattos — were used to authenticate acknowledgment receipts (ARs) of OVP’s expenditures, particularly those involving CFs.

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Last November 5wagi8, Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop pointed out to COA that several of the ARs were signed by Piattos, whose first name is similar to a coffee shop while having a last name of a famous potato chip brand.

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