VICE PRESIDENT Sara Duterte on Saturday shut down persistent political calls for her to step down and instead dared President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration to remove her through formal channels.
Speaking before members of the overseas Filipino community during the “Mahalin Natin ang Pilipinas” gathering in London on July 25, 2026, Duterte addressed mounting political pressure and speculation surrounding her continued tenure.
Duterte emphasized that resigning would be a direct betrayal of the voters who elected her into office in 2022.
“‘That feels like a betrayal to the 32.2 million of our countrymen who voted for me. If BBM wants, he can remove me; he can do everything, he can remove me,” Duterte told the crowd, directly challenging the President to initiate her removal if the administration wishes to see her out of office.
The Vice President’s defiant statements in London come amid heightened political friction in Manila, where her office has faced intense scrutiny from congressional leaders and opposition groups.
By framing her stay in office as a moral obligation to her electorate, Duterte reaffirmed her resolve to serve out her constitutional mandate despite the deepening rift within the former “UniTeam” alliance.
Her remarks signal an unyielding stance as political battles between the Marcos and Duterte camps continue to play out both domestically and on the global stage before overseas Filipino worker communities.
Neither Malacañang nor the leadership of the House of Representatives has issued an official statement responding to the Vice President’s latest challenge.
