MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, April 22, responded to First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos’ tirades against her, saying the latter’s feelings have nothing to do with her functions as a government official.

“Bilang tao, karapatan ni Unang Ginang Liza Marcos para makaramdam ng sama ng loob at galit. Subalit ang kaniyang personal na damdamin ay walang kinalaman sa aking mandato bilang opisyal ng pamahalaan,” she said.

(As human, it’s the right of First Lady Liza Marcos to feel upset and angry. But, her personal feelings have nothing to do with my mandate as a government official.)

Play Video

The Vice President posted her reply in a Facebook video three days after the First Lady’s interview with broadcaster Anthony Taberna aired on Friday, April 19. In that interview, Araneta-Marcos said that Duterte now has a bone to pick with her after she “crossed the line” when she attended a protest in Davao against charter change and allegedly laughed when former president Rodrigo Duterte called President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “bangag“ (high on drugs).

“You are getting suweldo (salary) from the government, you are supposed to be the alter ego,” Araneta-Marcos said. “That’s not right. That’s entitled politics. You’re in the government. You’re the vice president. Bad shot na ‘yan sa akin (I already have a bone to pick with her), unless she says sorry. She crossed the line.”

But instead of directly responding to the First Lady’s issue, Duterte said that she and the President will talk privately about the matter, adding that they should focus on the country’s pressing problems instead.

“Dapat ay nakatutok tayo sa mga suliraning hinaharap ng ating bansa,” Duterte said. She then enumerated the country’s problems – continued rising prices of goods, looming shortage of water and power supply, illegal drugs, criminality, and insurgency. The Vice President did not mention China’s continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea as a problem. (READ: Sara Duterte on continued China bullying: No comment)

After the First Lady’s remarks against the Vice President, calls for Duterte’s resignation from the Marcos Cabinet intensified. The Vice President is currently the country’s education secretary.

Must Read

As Marcos-Duterte clans clash, should Sara resign from the Cabinet?

– Rappler.com