By Brian Jules Campued
Vice President Sara Duterte over the weekend rejected the claim of former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque that she is the country’s new opposition leader following her resignation from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Cabinet.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Office of the Vice President’s Pasidungog in Cebu City on Saturday (June 29), Duterte stressed that being in the opposition is not in her character.
“Sa trabaho ko, at sa pagkatao ko, at sa prinsipyo ko, hindi ako gumagalaw for the administration, for the opposition, or kung ano man ‘yang politika na ‘yan,” she said in a media interview.
“Ang galaw ko ay base sa kung ano ‘yung makakatulong sa ating mga kababayan at kung ano ‘yung karadapat-dapat para sa ating mahal na Pilipinas,” the Vice President added.
It was Roque who claimed that Duterte would be the new head of the opposition after she stepped down from her post as Education secretary and National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) vice chair last June 19.
“UniTeam has formally been dissolved, and she has just become the leader of the opposition,” Roque said in a Facebook post.
Duterte did not give a clear reason for her resignation from the Marcos Cabinet but clarified that she will continue her duties as Vice President. She also assured her successor of a proper transition.
However, finding her replacement proved to be difficult, as President Marcos has yet to name the next DepEd chief, admitting that he was having a hard time choosing.
“Sa madaling sabi, oo nahihirapan ako pumili dahil napakakumplikado ng trabaho ng DepEd,” Marcos said during a media interview over the weekend.
“Mahirap ang trabaho ng DepEd. That’s why we have to thank Inday Sara really for the effort that she put in,” he added.