VP Sara as new opposition leader? LP’s De Lima doesn’t think so

Vice President Sara Duterte and former senator Leila de Lima (INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS)

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte as the new opposition leader? Not so fast, said former senator and Liberal Party (LP) spokesperson Leila de Lima on Thursday.

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque heralded Duterte as the new opposition leader after she resigned as education secretary on Wednesday.

De Lima, speaking for the LP, objected to Roque’s statements.

“Ang tunay na oposisyon, may pundasyon ng accountability, transparency, at pagmamalasakit sa mamamayan–mga bagay na hindi makikita sa track record ni Vice President Sara,” De Lima said in an X post.

(The real opposition has a foundation of accountability, transparency, and concern for the citizens, which cannot be seen in Vice President Sara’s track record.)

With Duterte’s resignation, no accountability or change of morals took place, according to De Lima.

De Lima said that Duterte’s resignation only confirmed what people knew: that the Uniteam was a mere facade to win in the 2022 elections.

“Taumbayan ang inuuna ng oposisyon. Hindi ang pagpapalawak at pagpapanatili sa kapangyarihan. Hindi ang pagtatanggol sa wanted na religious leader o pagpatay sa libu-libong Pilipino. Lalo namang hindi ang pagbubulag-bulagan sa pang-aapi sa ating mga mangingisda at pang-aagaw sa ating teritoryo ng mga dayuhan,” said De Lima.

(The opposition puts the people first, not increasing and maintaining power. Not defending wanted religious leaders or slaying thousands of Filipinos. Especially not playing blind to the bullying of fisherfolk and foreigners stealing our territories.)

De Lima did not name names, but the only religious leader that Duterte has consistently defended is the fugitive televangelist Apollo Quiboloy.

The vice president is the daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose bloody war on drugs left thousands of Filipinos dead.

Lastly, the vice president has been criticized for her silence on China’s maritime expansion in the West Philippine Sea, despite her family’s staunch support for the armed forces.