MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday night threatened to get in the way of Vice President Leni Robredo if she decides to seek the presidency in 2022.
In a televised speech meant to discuss the government response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent spate of typhoons, Duterte lashed out at Robredo for allegedly criticizing him for his absence during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses.
Duterte accused the Vice President of lying to the Filipino people for making it appear that he was missing in action while Filipinos bore the brunt of strong winds and rains brought by the typhoon.
“Next time, do not make a mistake or I’ll be forced to insult you because you are playing too much. Nagpapa-beauty ka. It’s not the time for you,” Duterte said.
“During the campaign, papaalis na ako. Sige subukan mo. Matagal na ako maraming gusto sabihin sayo. Ireserba ko. When you start your campaign pag magtakbo ka ng presidente, waswasan kita nang husto. This is your nightmare,” he added.
While Ulysses was barreling through Luzon, #NasaanAngPangulo (Where is the President), trended on social media as netizens questioned the absence of Duterte who was attending the 37th ASEAN Summit via teleconferencing.
Ulysses left 73 people dead while billions of pesos worth of damage to infrastructure and agriculture have also been recorded.
[atm]