During an online media briefing on Wednesday, veteran attorney Lorna Kapunan asserted that public remarks made by Vice President Sara Duterte are exacerbating a culture of violence throughout the nation.
Kapunan, who serves on the private prosecution panel, raised the concern following a fatal shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga that claimed two lives, including the gunman. While clarifying that she does not hold the Vice President directly accountable for the incident, Kapunan argued that Duterte’s public rhetoric worsens the societal problem rather than helping solve it.
The attorney highlighted several past statements made by the Vice President, including claims about hiring hitmen and issuing public threats against top government officials:
“I am not saying the Vice President is responsible. I am saying she certainly is contributing to the problem and not to the solution. Maalala natin sabi niya kung nangaliwa ang kanyang asawa, mag-hire siya ng assassin ng ₱5,000.
”If we have a high ranking official, the Vice President herself, saying she knows assassins who she can hire for P5,000…is that our culture? She said she wanted to cut off the head [of the President], saka nag-hire na daw siya ng someone to kill the First Lady, the President and the Speaker of the House. That’s a culture of violence.”
Kapunan criticized these statements as setting a harmful precedent for young Filipinos, cautioning against normalizing aggression as a standard response to conflict:
“‘Yan ang default reaction ng VP, mag-hire ng assassin, mag-press conference, mag-threaten. Hindi naman tamang family values ‘yan na in-encourage ang mga anak mo na pag may kalaban, violence ang gagamitin mo. That cannot be the leadership example of a high-ranking public official na nakikita ng kabataan.”
She noted that these actions form part of the grounds for the impeachment proceedings pending against the Vice President, arguing that promoting violence constitutes a betrayal of public trust that merits removal from office:
“It is now a culture of violence and that is why going back to the impeachment, ipakita natin sa lahat na hindi pwedeng mangyari ito.”
“Hindi pwedeng walang responsibilidad ang VP natin.”
The House-approved Articles of Impeachment transmitted to the Senate allege several grounds for removal, including culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes. Specific allegations detailed in the impeachment document include:
- The systematic misuse, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation of confidential funds totaling ₱500 million under the Office of the Vice President and ₱112.5 million during her tenure at the Department of Education (DepEd).
- The accumulation of unexplained wealth noticeably disproportionate to her lawful earnings.
- Failure to fully and truthfully disclose assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024.
- Failure to divest from business interests while serving as Vice President from 2022 through 2025.
- Providing monetary gifts or payments to DepEd officials to circumvent procurement laws.
- Allegedly contracting for the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, alongside issuing grave threats and inciting sedition.