Vice President Sara Duterte. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) should be professional in declaring class and work suspensions during inclement weather.
In an interview at the Hague, the Netherlands, Duterte was asked about her take on the “playful” messaging of DILG headed by Secretary Jonvic Remulla in announcing class and work suspensions, which some social media users called insensitive and unprofessional.
Citing her office as an example, Duterte pointed out that government institutions should be professional in its messaging and its approach should be separate from the personal views of its principals.
“Tulad lang din ‘yan noong sa Office of the Vice President. Merong Vice President at merong Office of the Vice President. Iba ‘yung institusyon, iba ‘yung tao,” she said in an interview on Tuesday.
Duterte noted that this was why agencies have a designated spokesperson to clearly communicate their services to the public.
“Kaya kami merong spokesperson for the Office of the Vice President kasi yung institusyon, meron silang mga ginagawa ng trabaho, may projects, may serbisyo, at merong boses yung Office of the Vice President. So, kapag nandoon ka, makikita mo very professional ‘yan sila,” the Vice President said.
“Pero, pagdating naman sa Vice President, ako, ‘yung tao, iba din ‘yung boses ko. So, kung galing ‘yan sa DILG official account, na sinasabi ninyo, confirmed naman na DILG official account, they have to be professional,” she said.
The vice president added that “an institution does not have the freedom of expression”.
“Hindi ko sinasabing hindi pwede maging professional ang ano ha pero the person can express, has the freedom of expression. An institution does not have the freedom of expression,” she said.
Remulla earlier defended his style of announcing suspensions, saying that getting the message across was what’s important.
“Kasama na ang bashers, pero ang mahalaga at least na-inform ko ang public kung ano ang kailangan nilang malaman kung saan dapat ang hazard areas, sino ang dapat hindi pumasok,” the DILG chief told ABS-CBN News.
Tindig Pilipinas, a coalition of pro-democracy groups, political parties, and impeachment complainants, holds a press conference on Tuesday, June 4, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The Department of Justice said Wednesday it would withdraw the motion for reconsideration filed by government prosecutors before the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 204 which effectively sought for the conviction of Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima in her illegal drugs case.
Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon said the decision to withdraw was made after he spoke with DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
“We did talk and agree to withdraw the MR filed by the trial prosecutors on the grounds of double jeopardy,” Fadullon said.
In a video clip posted on the Facebook page Insurers for Good Governance, Remulla was asked to comment on the move of DOJ prosecutors who handled the case of de Lima.
“I actually talked to the Prosecutor General this morning and told him to stop the foolishness of these people under us because they are following a political agenda, not a legal agenda, so we will take over the case,” Remulla said.
In the appeal filed by the prosecutors led by Provincial Prosecutor Ramoncito Bienvenido Ocampo, the recantation of witness Rafael Ragos against de Lima was not sufficient to “vitiate” his original testimony.
DOJ prosecutors ask Muntinlupa court to convict De Lima in illegal drugs case
The motion for reconsideration of the prosecutors resulted from the remand by the Court of the Appeals to the RTC of its decision to acquit de Lima.
The RTC however stood its ground and upheld the acquittal of de Lima.
Court of Appeals remands De Lima drug case to lower court
Asked for clarification, Fadullon said he was only informed about the motion for reconsideration after it was filed.
“I learned about it through my staff whom they informed, after the panel of prosecutors had already filed it because apparently it was already the deadline for the filing,” Fadullon said.
De Lima may sue DOJ for ‘never-ending cycle of persecution’ despite acquittal
De Lima thanked Remulla for “bringing sense and order to the unethical actuations” of the prosecutors.
But she called on the justice department to investigate and sanction the prosecutors who she accused of “acting on the basis of a political agenda” and remaining loyal to former president Rodrigo Duterte.
“Halos pitong taon akong ipinakulong sa tulong na rin at kooperasyon ng mga prosecutor na ito na tila ba walang konsensya sa pagyurak nila hindi lamang sa akin kundi sa ating sistemang legal. Ganun na lang ba yun?” De Lima said.
“If they are allowed to get away scot-free with what they have done, no one is safe. They should be made to account for what they have done,” she added.
