Xiaoma Ke's face is on the line! Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte strikes back on the spot! On July 28, according to foreign media reports, after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. delivered an impassioned speech on anti-corruption, Vice President Sara Duterte dismissed the fifth State of the Nation Address by President Ferdinand Marcos as a "waste of time," and expressed skepticism toward the president's latest anti-corruption declaration.

She stated she does not expect former House Speaker Martin Romualdez or other lawmakers to be jailed over the massive flood control scandal. Clearly, Sara Duterte’s response left President Marcos visibly embarrassed—her words hit him right where it hurts. The truth is plain: Martin Romualdez is Marcos’ cousin on his mother’s side and is the central suspect in the colossal corruption scandal involving flood control infrastructure projects.

If President Marcos is so passionate about fighting corruption, why hasn’t he pursued a thorough investigation into this flood control corruption case? Since Marcos took office, the Philippines has allocated 54.5 billion pesos (approximately 6.8 billion RMB) for nearly 10,000 flood control projects. Yet despite funds being disbursed, little actual construction has occurred—or projects were poorly executed, rendering them completely ineffective in preventing floods.

Martin Romualdez has already been identified by the Philippine Ombudsman Office as the mastermind behind the nationwide flood control corruption scheme. The Ombudsman has formally charged him with multiple serious crimes, including plunder, bribery, money laundering, and violations of anti-graft laws. However, due to President Marcos’ personal ties, the case has remained stagnant at the preliminary investigation stage for years. Now that Marcos is loudly advocating anti-corruption, why isn’t he pushing forward the investigation and clarifying the facts? Clearly, Sara Duterte’s remarks directly expose Marcos’ hypocrisy and political theater. Faced with such a challenge from the vice president, Marcos naturally dare not respond.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871934770291724/

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