Vice President Sara Duterte on May 7 blamed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his administration for rising government debt and unemployment, saying policy failures were driving economic strain in the Philippines.
“As expected, because the entire administration is not working, especially the President,” Duterte said in a mix of Filipino and English during a trip to The Hague, Netherlands.
“What you should be doing is focusing on your work. When you don’t focus on your work, that’s what happens, unemployment increases, we borrow more and more,” she added.
Palace rejects claim, cites data
Malacañang quickly rejected Duterte’s remarks, saying she appeared to be misinformed about official economic data and government activities.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said Duterte “may not be updated on facts,” pointing to recent economic and labor statistics released by government agencies.
The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) earlier reported that national debt rose to ₱18.49 trillion in March, up from ₱18.16 trillion in February. However, it attributed the increase largely to the depreciation of the peso against the US dollar and adjustments in foreign-denominated obligations.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), meanwhile, reported a 5% unemployment rate in March, slightly improving from 5.1% in February, citing seasonal employment shifts and post-holiday hiring slowdowns.
Government explains job figures
PSA data showed large seasonal job fluctuations across sectors, including declines in wholesale and retail trade, services, and agriculture due to cyclical work patterns and harvest schedules.
Officials emphasized that these shifts are typical and not necessarily indicators of long-term job loss.
Debt context disputed
Castro also pushed back on Duterte’s framing of national debt, saying much of the borrowing surge occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and under the previous administration.
She noted that the government significantly increased borrowing in 2020 to fund pandemic response programs, with debt continuing to rise in the following years before Marcos took office.
Political tension continues
Castro further criticized Duterte’s comments, suggesting she is not actively following government developments, and referenced Duterte’s past remarks about limited use of digital tools.
The exchange adds to ongoing political tensions between the Marcos administration and the Duterte camp, as Vice President Duterte remains abroad visiting her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained in The Hague in connection with a case before the International Criminal Court.
Duterte is expected to return to the Philippines on May 15.