Sara Duterte admits facing ‘professional crisis’ under Marcos Cabinet

Vice President Sara Duterte shared on Thursday that she endured a “professional crisis” while serving as a Cabinet secretary under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“[My] professional crisis was when I became Vice President. I was serving in the Cabinet of BBM and I wonder why I am being attacked. I am not doing anything [to them],” she said during the Pandesal Forum at Kamuning Bakery in Quezon City.

Duterte served as Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) from the start of the Marcos administration until 19 July 2024, when she resigned and was succeeded by former senator Sonny Angara.

"I'm just working and that's my commitment to the people. But even though I'm sitting as Cabinet Secretary in the Department of Education, in the Office of the Vice President, all they're doing is rolling out projects, the administration is attacking me," she said.

"It took me a while to realize my worth and value as a government official—that I shouldn't be treated like this because I'm not doing anything bad to the administration, whether it's BBM or anyone else," she explained.

Since late 2023, the Dutertes and the Marcoses have been entangled in a highly publicized rift often played out through speeches and social media posts.

At the same forum, the 47-year-old official also shared her thoughts on personal matters, joking about the challenges of aging.

“My personal crisis is aging…it’s so hard to lose weight,” Duterte said, adding that she has also been experiencing severe hair fall, the cause of which she is still unsure of.