VICE President Sara Duterte said issues over the budget allocation for the Department of Education (DepEd) were among the reasons she resigned from the Cabinet of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In a television interview aired on Thursday, Duterte said that while she is not ready to fully explain the real cause of her resignation as education secretary, she said she believed that the 2024 General Appropriations Act was not properly handled.

"I tried to right what I thought was wrong, but of course, I did not get any support or see any change. That's why I said it won't happen in the 2025 budget. I can't carry anymore handling the budget of the Department of Education and repeat what they did," Duterte said.

Turning to her relationship with the President, Duterte said they were no longer meeting or talking with each other.

Duterte was Marcos' running mate in the "UniTeam" that swept them to victory in the 2022 elections.

Duterte said she was now more "free" to speak her mind after leaving the Cabinet.

"My frustration as Vice President and as a Filipino, and what is happening to the government, I show it off," she said.

She said she was surprised by the OCTA Research survey that showed there are fewer people who support the Duterte family and their allies, while supporters of the Marcos administration have increased.

"You can read it, the motive is perpetuation in power. All of what you perceive as threats, you will destroy. It is very obvious that all of what you are hearing is, I don't want to go down, this is mine forever. I don't care if this is true or not, as long as I want to destroy you. It is all about politics," Duterte said.

She said that her being under surveillance by the Philippine National Police (PNP) is nothing new.

"Do I feel threatened? This is not the first time that we had a political issue in our family," Duterte said.

In a subsequent statement on Friday, the vice president stressed that she is using her "position, resources and platform, to be the voice for my fellow Filipinos who are left unheard."

She said leadership requires "faithfulness to the oath of office. Leadership is faithful service to the people. Leaders should only say one thing — that 'it is done'."

"Leaders should not be motivated by cash, cocaine or champagne. And, most certainly, leaders should not be made to hold champagne glasses," she added, referencing rumors of drug use by the President and the viral videos of first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos sipping wine from the glass of Senate President Chiz Escudero during a Malacañang affair.

Reacting to the vice president's comments, Escudero on Friday said that he was not surprised to see and hear her criticizing the Marcos administration after the breakup of the UniTeam and her quitting the Cabinet.

Instead of blaming others, Duterte could instead help in addressing the country's problems by using her position in government, Escudero said.

"The statements of Vice President Sara Duterte should not be surprising following her resignation from the Cabinet. What is perplexing is her questioning the absence of a flood master plan two years into the administration of President Marcos Jr. after the previous administration had six years to develop one, but was unable to do so," he said.

"The Vice President, like every Filipino, has the right to point out the problems confronting our countrymen. Unlike ordinary citizens, however, she can suggest or do something tangible about them using her position, resources, and platform," Escudero said.

"Instead of finger-pointing and blaming others, it's better that we help each other to address the problems facing our nation and countrymen," he said.

Sen. Imee Marcos said she and Duterte remain friends despite the vice president's criticism of her brother's administration.

Marcos said it was sad because she would have wanted the UniTeam to be "forever."

"I think VP Sara's sentiments are the same with the aspirations of all Filipinos," the senator said.

Duterte also slammed the present administration for allowing foreign entities like the International Criminal Court (ICC) to interfere in Philippine affairs.

The vice president's father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, is among those accused before the ICC of crimes against humanity.

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