Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) described the plunder and related complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte and 15 others over ₱612.5 million in confidential funds as a “recycled and rehashed smear campaign” aimed at undermining her potential 2028 presidential bid.
In a Friday statement, PDP spokesperson Atty. Ferdinand Topacio said the allegations provoked both “alarm and amusement.”
He noted, “Amusement, because the allegations are the same rehashed and recycled fabrications from several years ago—prevarications that have been debunked time and again. The latest rebuff is the recent Commission on Audit report, which gave the Office of the Vice President the highest audit rating and provided the Vice President a clean bill of health in terms of accountability.”
Topacio added, “Alarm, because only a fool would deny that the present Ombudsman is nothing but a lapdog of Malacañang, clearly capable of not only bending, but also breaking or disregarding the law to follow the commands of his trainer and master, Mr. Marcos.”
He urged focus on alleged budget-related “thievery” in the House of Representatives and warned that the administration may attempt “purely foul means” to block a Duterte presidency.
“The people should always remain alert and ready to thwart such brazen attempts to frustrate legal processes and the will of the people. Eternal vigilance, after all, is the price of freedom,” he said.