VP Sara: Marcos can't wash his hands of flood scandal

Vice President Sara Duterte accuses President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of trying to rewrite the narrative surrounding the government's multi-billion-peso flood control controversy.

Speaking to reporters in The Hague, Duterte dismissed Marcos' anti-corruption messaging as political theater, saying his now-famous "Mahiya naman kayo" ("Have some shame") line had become an attempt to shift public attention rather than establish accountability.

"Wala naman siya napakulong sa flood control scandal. It was a PR stunt na sinali nila 'yung linya na 'yun sa speech niya na nag-backfire," Duterte said.

Marcos first uttered the phrase during his 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA), when he publicly rebuked officials and contractors over alleged anomalies in flood control projects. 

In his fifth SONA on Monday, he said his administration had filed criminal cases, frozen or recovered billions of pesos in assets linked to the alleged scheme, and pursued investigations that previous administrations had failed to undertake.

Duterte, however, said the President could not portray himself as an outsider to the controversy because he signed the General Appropriations Act (GAA), the law authorizing government spending.

“So, sinasabi niya na lang 'yan ngayon na parang ako 'yung nagsabi ng mahiya naman kayo para mailayo niya 'yung sarili niya doon sa flood control scandal. Unfortunately, hindi niya pwedeng gawin na ilayo niya 'yung sarili niya doon sa corruption sa flood control scandal kasi siya 'yung pumirma ng budget,” she said.

Duterte, whose alliance with Marcos swept them both into office in 2022 before collapsing into an increasingly bitter political feud, reiterated her long-standing argument that the President cannot distance himself from the controversy because he approved the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

She has repeatedly argued that the alleged anomalies can be traced by comparing the National Expenditure Program (NEP) — the executive's proposed budget submitted to Congress — with the final GAA enacted into law, which she claims contained flood control projects inserted during the legislative process.

"Pumirma ka ng budget na alam mo maraming insertions. Na alam mo 'yung NEP mo hindi na siya 'yung lumabas na GAA,” she said.

Duterte noted that even if Congress introduced amendments, the President had the constitutional authority to veto questionable appropriations before signing the budget into law, making him politically accountable for projects she claims were irregular. 

Duterte also disputed Marcos' claim that his anti-corruption drive had produced tangible results.

"Dahil wala namang nakulong eh. Walang nakulong na mga tao na tumanggap ng mga maleta na galing sa flood control scandal," she added.

Malacañang has consistently maintained that the alleged irregularities largely involved congressional amendments to the executive's proposed budget and has defended the President's actions, saying he initiated the investigations after uncovering patterns in flood control contracts.