Vice President Sara Duterteโs fiery reaction to her chief of staffโs detention has drawn sharp criticism from civil society groups, who accuse the Duterte family of perpetuating a culture of impunity and entitlement.
Outraged over Zuleika Lopezโs brief detention by the House of Representatives, Duterte unleashed profanity-laced tirades and made veiled threats against top officials, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Human rights advocates say the episode mirrors the authoritarian tendencies of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
โItโs all about impunity. Itโs all about hubris,โ said former Senator Leila de Lima during the launch of the Duterte Panagutin Network, a coalition of lawyers, rights advocates, and victimsโ families demanding accountability for both drug war killings and the Dutertesโ brand of leadership.
โThey act like overlords who believe theyโre untouchable.โ
Entitlement or Governance?
Duterteโs interference in Lopezโs detention, which stemmed from her defiance of a House inquiry into confidential funds, drew ire for undermining legal processes.
โHer meltdown over Lopezโs few days of detention is pure drama,โ De Lima quipped. โI was jailed for nearly seven yearsโdid you see me throw a fit?โ
Teddy Casiรฑo, a former congressman and chairperson of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, likened Saraโs recent actions to her fatherโs infamous behavior. โHer outbursts reveal a leader acting as an entitled brat and a carbon copy of her father.โ
Civil society groups warned that failing to address Sara Duterteโs behavior could embolden similar abuses.
โAllowing impunity today sets the stage for even worse violations tomorrow, especially as we approach the 2028 elections,โ said De Lima.
Double Standards in Justice
Critics also highlighted what they called the governmentโs selective application of justice.
Karapatan Secretary-General Cristina Palabay compared the kid-glove treatment of Sara Duterte to the swift and warrantless arrest of teacher Ronnel Mas in 2020 for a tweet against Rodrigo Duterte. โThis double standard underscores how justice is skewed in favor of those in power,โ Palabay said.
Lawyer Dino de Leon of the Free Legal Assistance Group warned that the absence of accountability creates fertile ground for future strongman leadership. โWeak institutions make the public vulnerable to populist leaders who exploit them,โ he noted.
Accountability Movement Grows
The Duterte Panagutin Network announced plans to reconvene on December 7, ahead of International Human Rights Day. The coalition aims to sustain pressure for justice, not just for drug war victims but for systemic reforms to prevent authoritarianism from taking root again.
Krissy Conti of the National Union of Peoplesโ Lawyers expressed hope despite systemic challenges. โEven if the law often seems skewed against the powerless, justice must eventually be on our side,โ she said.
The Dutertesโ Legacy of Violence
The controversy surrounding Sara Duterte comes amid ongoing investigations into her fatherโs violent legacy. As president, Rodrigo Duterte admitted to orchestrating extrajudicial killings and running a death squad in Davao City. His anti-drug campaign, which official figures claim killed 6,252 people, may have claimed up to 30,000 lives, according to rights groups.
Sara Duterte, who served as Davao City mayor, has also been implicated in the International Criminal Courtโs case against the Duterte administration. She denies the allegations but continues to face scrutiny for her role in perpetuating a culture of impunity.
Calls for accountability grow louder, and civil society groups remain steadfast in their demand for justice: โThe law must be for everyoneโor it will fail us all.โ
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