Sara Duterte’s claim of fearing for her life ‘pure drama’ – Castro

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s remarks that she fears for her life were “pure drama,” former ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro said on Sunday. Castro, a staunch critic of the Dutertes, said the vice president was in no position to cast herself as a victim after a warrant was issued for her arrest over charges that she threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. She also said Duterte’s remarks on Saturday were an attempt to control the narrative and portray herself as a victim. “This bratinella’s just full of drama,” Castro said, using the Filipino slang for a female brat. “She only wants to flip the narrative and make herself the victim,” the former lawmaker added. On Saturday, Duterte posted P360,000 bail for charges that she made grave threats against Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. Before entering the Quezon City Hall of Justice, she said she did not trust the police or the court. READ: Sara Duterte at QC Hall of Justice: ‘I don’t feel safe’ “I do not feel safe, I really do not feel safe. I don’t trust the court, I don’t trust the police,” she said. Duterte said she had felt unsafe since 2023 due to harassment of her family by certain authorities, whom she did not name. “The irony is striking: this is the same family that once threatened political opponents, those who exposed their misdeeds, and enforced tokhang and extrajudicial killings — now she claims to be the one under threat,” Castro said. /mcm