Vice President Sara Duterte hit back at Malacañang’s branding of her leadership at the Department of Education (DepEd) as a “complete failure,” saying President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. himself had tried to convince her to stay when she resigned in June 2024.
Speaking in The Hague, Netherlands, Duterte recounted that Marcos’ actions back then contradicted how the Palace now portrays her two-year stint at DepEd.
“He tried to ask me to stay, tapos sabi ko, ayoko na. And then ang sunod niyang ginawa, in-offeran niya ako, ‘May gusto ka ba na posisyon?’ Sabi ko, wala akong gustong posisyon. Tapos ang sunod niyang sinabi sa akin, ‘Pwede ka bang tumulong sa midterm elections para sa mga senators?… Gumanon siya. Sabi ko, pag-iisipan ko pero wala pa akong plano para sa 2025 midterm elections ng senators,” Duterte said.
According to her, these gestures “clearly” showed that Marcos wanted her to reconsider leaving.
“Hindi ‘yun actions ng taong tumitingin as failure ako. Action ‘yun ng taong tumitingin na kailangan niya ‘yung trabaho ko. So, hindi ko alam saan nangagaling ‘yung sinasabi nilang failure ako sa Department of Education Secretary,” she stressed.
Duterte also recalled a striking detail from that morning: Marcos reeked of alcohol when she handed in her resignation.
“Amoy alak siya at 10:30 in the morning. Doon ko na-confirm ‘yung desisyon ko na mag-resign. So, hindi ako ang failure. Siguro, ang failure is ‘yung 10:30 pa lang ng umaga, amoy alak ka na,” she said.
The Palace, however, pushed back. Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro dismissed Duterte’s remarks as fabricated.
“Walang katotohanan ang mga kwento niyang ito laban kay Pangulong Marcos, Jr. Madali sa kanilang gumawa ng kwento at propaganda… Lahat ng kwento niya ay para siraan ang Pangulo dahil nais niyang pababain ito sa pwesto at siya ang maging pangulo,” Castro countered.