Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday criticizes President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., saying he has significant deficiencies as the country’s leader.

“Marami siyang kakulangan bilang presidente. Hindi lamang sa pagbibigay ng simpatya at empathy sa ating mga kababayan. More than that ay yung problema at skandalo sa paggamit ng pera ng bayan,” Duterte said during an interview in Davao.

The rebuke comes as the Philippines confronts ripple effects from the ongoing Middle East conflict, which has disrupted global energy markets and threatened overseas Filipino workers. 

President Marcos previously announced measures to mitigate the conflict’s impact, including seeking emergency authorities to adjust fuel taxes, urging energy conservation, coordinating possible repatriation flights for workers in the region, and backing calls for a ceasefire. 

Duterte and Marcos ran together in the May 2022 national elections under the “UniTeam” alliance, a partnership widely seen as instrumental to their landslide victory.