MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte said that the government has weaponized the justice system by filing cases against and imprisoning individuals who speak out against corruption and abuses of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Her statement comes after supporters of the Iglesia ni Cristo held a lightning rally on Tuesday morning calling out corruption in government and lamenting the possible arrest of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, an INC member.
In a statement, Duterte said that the peopke who are gathering at the People Power Monument and the Liwasang Bonifacio reflects a growing sentiment that she has expressed since 2024.
"This administration has been defined by poor governance and its failure to acknowledge and address the country’s real problems," Duterte said.
"While countless of our kababayans struggle with rising prices, job insecurity, and the increasing cost of daily life, the President has remained detached from the hardships confronting Filipinos," she added.
Duterte further said that instead of confronting these challenges with solutions, the Marcos administration chose to silence dissent under the guise of accountability.
"It has weaponized the justice system by filing cases against and imprisoning individuals who dare speak out against alleged corruption and abuses in Malacañang, question the administration’s competence, or criticize the President, including allegations concerning his drug use," she said.
She also said that Marcos's failures of character and leadership have fostered an "increasingly oppressive political environment,"
"A government that answers criticism with intimidation undermines the very democratic institutions it is sworn to protect," she siad.
Duterte said that it is not anymore a matter of politics, but a "matter of the honor of the State and a future of a people who continue to bear the weight of economic hardship while their voices are increasingly met with repression,"
