Vice President Sara Duterte rejected fresh allegations that she and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, received money from drug lords, while asserting that she would not prevent her critics from voicing their opinions.
Duterte made the statement after the House of Representatives adopted a committee recommendation for the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to investigate an alleged joint bank account of the Dutertes, purportedly containing funds from a financier linked to drug trade.
The recommendation was based on testimony of former senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
During a media interview in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, June 12, the embattled Vice President dismissed Trillanes’ claims, asserting that his remarks should not be taken as fact.
“Respetuhin natin ang opinion. So opinion ‘yan ni Senator Trillanes,” she said.
“Hindi dahil sinabi niya ‘yan ay ‘yan ang katotohanan,” she added.
Duterte reiterated that she never made any attempt to silence her critics.
“Hindi ako ‘yung tipo ng tao na pipigilan ko ang ibang tao sa pagsasabi ng kung ano ang nasa puso at isip nila,” she said.
“Lahat naman tayo may freedom of speech, at lahat ng opinion nirerespeto ko,” she added.
The Vice President arrived in Manila on Saturday after her personal trip to Malaysia with her family, where she attended an Independence Day event and met with overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there.
According to a media bulletin from the Office of the Vice President (OVP), Duterte arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) around 5:43 a.m. via Philippine Airlines flight PR 530.
“The Vice President is scheduled to attend the 2025 PASIDUNGOG awarding ceremony in Davao City on Monday, 16 June 2025,” the bulletin read. (Raymund Antonio)
