Sara on sedition raps: ‘Bring it on’

Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday said she was not afraid of sedition charges or any case that may be filed against her by her accusers, noting that she is prepared for what may happen.

“Actually, I’m just waiting for the day they finally put me in jail. But apparently, until now, they still can’t figure out what strategy to use to imprison me, because they truly have no evidence of any wrongdoing on my part,” Duterte said in an interview on the sidelines of the 90th anniversary celebration of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) at Shangri-La Makati in Makati City.

On 12 February 2025, the National Bureau of Investigation filed an inciting to sedition and grave threats complaint against Duterte over her remarks that she had hired someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and then Speaker Martin Romualdez.

“Actually, I also have a pending open investigation for inciting to sedition and grave threats,” she said.

Duterte also said she was not afraid of being sued by the Ombudsman. “I am not afraid because I am prepared for whatever may happen to me,” she said.

Duterte lambasted the administration for being “too onion-skinned,” saying that dissent is an aspect of democracy and good governance.

Right cannot be barred

“You cannot suppress that because it is the people’s right to speak about what they think and what they feel. Even if what they say is not favorable to the administration or the government, that should still be respected,” she said.

Duterte described the administration as “paranoid” about its claim of destabilization.

“They’ve been paranoid for a long time. When did they even start becoming paranoid? From what I heard, they began feeling that way while traveling abroad. They were afraid they would no longer have anything to return to here in our country,” Duterte said.

“And you can clearly see their paranoia in their actions — such as the harassment of our fellow citizens who speak out against them, and the pressure being placed on those who want to testify in cases against government officials who are allied with the administration,” the Vice President added.