A Manila lawmaker, whose appearance was mocked by Vice President Sara Duterte, said Monday that he will not sink to the level of “rudeness” of the second-highest leader, saying he opts for positive campaigning, where undertaken projects and future initiatives should take center stage.
"Even if Sara and (former Manila mayor) Isko (Moreno) insult me every day — my neck, my stomach — it will not erase the fact I have delivered honest and true service to the Second District of Manila," said Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano.
Duterte ridiculed Valeriano in his own district in Tondo during a campaign rally of Moreno, who is seeking a comeback as Manila mayor. The rally took place on 24 April, wherein the VP mocked Valeriano for having a “big neck,” causing strain on his voice.
Valeriano, in response, countered that the people of Tondo are “well-mannered” and “don’t engage in disrespectful behavior with rude people.”
“We, in Tondo, are also courageous. We will not side with or bow down to any evil group just for the sake of ambition,” he stressed, referring to Moreno, whom he had branded an ally of the “tokhang regime” and “Team Evil.”
Moreno, running against his former ally, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna, is being endorsed by VP Duterte.
During a 25 April rally in Quiapo, Duterte also took a shot at another Manila lawmaker, Joel Chua, right on his own turf.
Duterte, holding an apple, told Manila Councilor Apple Nieto—who is running against Chua for the third congressional district seat—to shove it into Chua’s throat until he dies.
But Chua only had a brief response for Duterte: [I] will not engage in negative campaigning because it will do nothing for my constituents.
Both Valeriano and Chua, running under the ticket of Lacuna, are vocal critics of Duterte in the House of Representatives, which impeached her on 5 February.
Valeriano’s privilege speech in September last year paved the way for the rigorous investigation of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability into the alleged questionable disbursement of Duterte’s millions of confidential funds.
Chua heads the panel and presided over the marathon hearings, which eventually became the key basis of Duterte’s impeachment.
Duterte was accused of misappropriating P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the OVP (P500 million) and the Department of Education (P112.5 million), which she headed for nearly two years.
The alleged irregularities in the use of secret funds were among the impeachable offenses outlined by the House under the seven articles of impeachment—signed by 215 lawmakers—transmitted to the Senate.
Duterte has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the impeachment as a “well-funded” and “coordinated political attack” to derail her ambitions to succeed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the 2028 elections.