Vice President Sara Duterte accuses the government of shifting narratives to discredit her, following reports linking a political ally to a major drug smuggling incident involving Laos and Mindanao.
Vice President Sara Duterte has publicly claimed that the government is altering its narrative as part of a strategy to undermine her political standing. This claim comes in the wake of reports concerning the foiled attempt to smuggle illegal drugs worth approximately 3.5 billion pesos from Laos to Mindanao.
The controversy began when Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla mentioned in a Palace briefing that Edriezan Hadji Nasser Rimbang, a former Bangsamoro Parliament member and Mindanao politician allegedly involved in the drug shipment, was affiliated with the same political party as former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Although Remulla clarified that the Duterte family has no direct connections to the attempted drug smuggling, Vice President Duterte contested this, stating that no concrete evidence has been presented to indicate her involvement or any conspiracy.
In a formal statement, Duterte highlighted what she described as a “shift in the government’s narrative,” accusing officials of stretching various threads into conspiracies ranging from alleged Chinese-funded business ventures linked to her, to the Mindanao-Davao drug smuggling plot. She underscored the absence of convincing evidence supporting these allegations.
Duterte also pointed out an alleged fabricated travel authority for Laos that has circulated, suggesting it was created to uphold a narrative lacking credible proof. She noted that such a document was not confirmed by the Office of the President, which customarily announces her foreign trips.
Finally, Vice President Duterte urged the government to focus on governance instead of engaging in political maneuvering. As of the time this report was filed, Malacañang had not issued a response to her statements.
This development is significant within the political climate of the Philippines, especially considering the upcoming ASEAN Summit and ongoing political tensions involving the Duterte family.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/1006558/sara-duterte-says-gov-t-shifting-strategy-to-take-her-down/story/
