𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗝𝗔𝗕: 𝗩𝗣 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗗𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗦𝗵𝗲’𝘀 ‘𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆’ 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗜𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗼𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻

Vice President Sara Duterte delivered a direct, no-flinch answer on Tuesday when pressed about the rising calls for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to resign amid the spiraling corruption scandal engulfing the administration. Asked if she’s prepared to assume the presidency should Marcos vacate the post, Duterte didn’t hedge: “Of course. There is no question about my readiness.”

Duterte stressed that she ran for vice president fully aware she sits first in the constitutional line of succession — a point she doubled down on as various groups continue urging Marcos to step aside over alleged multibillion-peso budget insertions and ghost infrastructure kickbacks. Her statement lands at a tense moment for the Palace, which has repeatedly insisted that resignation is “not an option” for the President and warned that ouster calls could derail ongoing investigations into the scandal.

Marcos has denied accusations from former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, who claimed the President ordered ₱100 billion in insertions into the 2025 budget. Malacañang dismissed the allegation as baseless “hearsay,” even as pressure continues to mount and Duterte positions herself as constitutionally—and politically—prepared for whatever comes next.

Image from Inday Sara Duterte FB