VICE President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte made a surprise appearance on the 7th day of the “Laban Kasama ang Bayan” Prayer Rally at Liwasang Bonifacio on Tuesday afternoon.
She said she did not miss the opportunity to thank the members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), supporters of Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, and the personalities of the Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) for their support to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
She also thanked the people for their support of the Duterte family.
‘‘I am here today at Laban Kasama ang Bayan [Prayer Rally] to thank the people for supporting me and our family, the Duterte Family. We owe a great debt of gratitude to the people. Not only to the people here but to all our fellow countrymen nationwide because they gave us the opportunity to serve our nation,’’ Vice President Sara Duterte stated.
VP Duterte calls hearing about Pastor ACQ a trial by publicity
Vice President Duterte also reiterated her solidarity with the SMNI’s fight, which she said is a clear violation of freedom of the media.
She also expressed her support for Pastor Quiboloy amid the issues facing the good pastor.
‘‘We see that this is a trial by publicity. Hearings that lead nowhere, alleged witnesses concealing their true identities. And it’s one-sided. All attacks, all defamation against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy,’’ according to Vice President Duterte.
People’s grievances should be conveyed to President Marcos Jr.—VP Duterte
Apart from the justice being sought for Pastor Quiboloy and SMNI, the participants in the prayer rally also shouted for the cessation of corruption, terrorism, criminality, corruption, and illegal drugs in the country.
They also prayed that the leaders become agents of goodness and justice and remove from the hearts of every Filipino the kingdom of evil and abuse, especially those in government.
These grievances, according to Vice President Duterte, should be conveyed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
‘‘These should be brought to our president. All complaints can be discussed with diplomacy, and I am happy that the supporters of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, and SMNI personnel, have these rallies and gatherings to express their sentiments. This is our manifestation of freedom of speech and religion,’’ Vice President Duterte said.
The Vice President also called on the people to continue praying for the country.
She urged prayers for truth and justice so that the government treats everyone equally.
Regarding calls from those in the prayer rally for her to become the president of the Philippines, this was her response:
‘‘You know, I always say that in politics, in life, we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. So, what we can always do is pray to God, pray for our country, pray for the truth, pray for justice, and of course, pray for the wisdom to do our job,” Duterte added.
VP Duterte assures Filipinos that they can count on her to fulfill her duties
At present, according to Vice President Duterte, she is focusing on her duties in the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
‘‘They can rely on me to fulfill the mandate of my office, the Office of the Vice President, the Department of Education, and I will work on that. It’s in my oath. It says there, ‘I consecrate myself to the service of the nation.’ It means I will work to see a better future for our country,’’ the Vice President said.
She also said that despite the black propaganda against her, she will continue to work and fulfill her duties.
According to the Vice President, she is not surprised by the smear campaigns against her.
‘‘I grew up in politics, so I know that black propaganda is part of a politician’s journey. So, I say they have a sort of script that they copy. They want to portray Inday Sara as corrupt, abusive, treacherous, murderous, a warlord. It’s like they have a script of attacks. But as I said, that’s part of a politician’s life. I saw it with my father. I saw it across the country with our politicians,’’ she stated.
