Vice President Sara Duterte criticized the Marcos administration for alleged corruption as she addressed members of the Filipino community in London on Saturday, saying poor governance has forced millions of Filipinos to seek better opportunities overseas.

“Because there are so many ‘crocodiles’ (corrupt politicians) in the Philippines, we Filipinos ended up fending for ourselves. Those in power rose to the top, grew wealthy, gained power and became selfish,” Duterte said.

Speaking before overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and Filipino migrants, Duterte thanked them for their sacrifices and contributions to the Philippine economy through remittances.

She, however, said the government should create enough opportunities at home so that working abroad becomes a choice rather than a necessity.

“Seventy years from now, we do not want our children to face the same reality as many overseas Filipinos do today, working 16 hours a day just to provide for the families they left behind in the Philippines,” she said.

“Dreaming of working abroad has become normal for Filipinos. That is wrong. Because our own country should be the one providing us with opportunities,” she added.

16 votes to convict

Duterte is on an overseas trip from 16 to 31 July, with scheduled visits to Qatar, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

Her trip comes as she faces an impeachment trial before the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, on charges that include alleged misuse of confidential funds, culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust.

She has denied the allegations and described the impeachment case as politically motivated.

A conviction by at least two-thirds of the Senate, or 16 of its 24 members, would remove her from office and permanently disqualify her from holding public office.

The Vice President’s visit also comes as her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, remains detained in The Hague under the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he faces charges of crimes against humanity in connection with his administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

The elder Duterte’s arrest and transfer to the ICC in March became a major political flashpoint after the Marcos administration facilitated the execution of the court’s warrant despite earlier statements that the former president would not be surrendered to the tribunal.

Although the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019, the Marcos administration has maintained that it cooperated with international law enforcement mechanisms in carrying out the arrest while insisting the country is no longer an ICC member.

Despite the impeachment proceedings, the Vice President continues to post higher trust and approval ratings than President Marcos Jr. in recent nationwide surveys.

The vice president is widely regarded by political analysts as the leading contender for the 2028 presidential election, although a conviction by the Senate impeachment court would bar her from seeking the presidency or any other public office.