Sara Duterte: Get to Da Choppa!

It's amazing how bold Sara Duterte really is and not in a good way either. From punching the court sheriff to influencing who is House Speaker to unashamedly claiming that honesty does not matter Sara has proven herself to be a short fused, dishonest, pompous windbag who ultimately does not care about her constituents (going so far as to mock them by cosplaying as an indigenous person) and, like the President she serves alongside, has as her best and only qualification her surname.

Sara is so bold that now she is bragging on Twitter about using government helicopters to fly home every night in order to tuck her children in bed. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/09/13/2209432/duterte-thanks-marcos-use-paf-aircraft-so-she-can-be-her-kids

Vice President Sara Duterte, who is also education secretary, on Tuesday thanked President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. for allowing her the use of Air Force aircraft to ferry her back home so she can be with her kids at night.

In a message for Marcos' birthday, Duterte wished the president God's favor as well as strength and wisdom in "the difficult road ahead" at the helm of the Republic of the Philippines.

"Thank you, [President Bongbong], and your 250th PAW for ensuring that wherever I may be found in the country during the day, I am home in time to tuck my children to bed," she also said.

The 250th Presidential Airlift Wing is tasked with providing the air transportation needs of the president, his Cabinet members and staff. The wing operates both airplanes and helicopters 

"Thank you for putting a premium on the desire of a working mother to be present in her children's lives," Duterte, who has three young children, said.

At an inauguration program in Davao City in June, Vice President Duterte stressed the importance of family, saying "[a] strong, loving, happy family sets down all the basic foundations essential in the development and growth of a child."

Here is the tweet in question:

https://twitter.com/indaysara/status/1569488104972763137

Understandably many people balked at the thought of Sara Duterte using taxpayer money to fly to Davao every night just to be with her children. However, that appears to not be the case. It turns out her family has moved to Manila. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1183658

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) refuted on Wednesday accusations and remarks circulating online about Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged daily use of a presidential chopper in Davao City.

In a Viber message, OVP Spokesperson Reynold Munsayac debunked the matter, labeling it as fake news, following Duterte’s posted birthday greeting to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

“That’s fake news, the claim saying she’s using a chopper bound to Davao City on a daily basis. VP Sara Duterte now lives in Manila, with her family, even her kids are studying here,” he said.

The allegations surfaced online after Duterte thanked the chief executive for allowing her to fulfill both her official and maternal duties by lending her a 250th Presidential Airlift Wing (PAW).

“Thank you, PBB, and your 250th PAW (presidential airlift wing) for ensuring that wherever I may be found in the country during the day, I am home in time to tuck my children to bed. Thank you for putting a premium on the desire of a working mother to be present in her children’s lives,” she said earlier in her birthday greetings.

Moreover, Munsayac clarified that the said aircraft is only being used for official travels.

“They are using land vehicles daily. The chopper is only used when needed for official work and functions, depending on the place and urgency of schedule,” he added.

That certainly is much needed context but it doesn't really solve the problem here. Sara said

Thank you, PBB, and your 250th PAW (presidential airlift wing) for ensuring that wherever I may be found in the country during the day, I am home in time to tuck my children to bed. 

On its face that is saying the PAW flies Sara home every day to be with her children at night. The wording is quite plain. But apparently her words are not to be taken at face value. That is the hot take of one tweeter.

https://twitter.com/ManuelPSev/status/1570395438028845056

Lazy journalism… and you people really took her word literally huh… geez

Imagine scolding someone for taking the words of the Vice President literally. How else are her words to be taken? It says a lot that Sara Duterte's words cannot be trusted on their own.

It also should be noted that Sara's spokesman, Reynold Munsayac, contradicted her claim that the PAW makes sure she is home at night to tuck her children in bed.

The chopper is only used when needed for official work and functions, depending on the place and urgency of schedule.

So, which is it? Does the PAW make sure she is at home every night to be with her children or does she only use the chopper for official functions? They cannot both be true. 

Sara issued a statement blaming bad actors for maliciously misinterpreting her tweet.

https://twitter.com/indaysara/status/1570325668445163520

I believe that a person who can conjure a lie from an appreciation post — that a helicopter is being used to go home every day, even giving in to the itch of maliciously suggesting that it is for personal use — should seriously reflect on why he had to lie.

I think that if this person can recognize his anger, he will be able to overcome his bitter and spiteful self. Hopefully, he becomes a better version of himself — despite the cycle of hate that has enslaved him. 

This tweet is oozing a lot of needless drama. Instead of issuing an apology for causing confusion and clarifying her previous statement she goes on the attack in the most passive aggressive way. The fact is many people read her tweet and immediately jumped to the conclusion that she is taking daily flights home with the PAW because that is exactly what she indicated. There is not much leeway for interpretation. Sara thanked the PAW and Marcos for ensuring that wherever she is by day she will be with her children at night. End of tweet.

The Office of the Vice President is seriously considering charging with a crime anyone who claims Sara flies daily to Davao. 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/15/22/ovp-mulls-charges-over-claims-on-saras-chopper-use

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) said Thursday it was looking at the possibility of filing charges against those who claimed that Vice President Sara Duterte was using the presidential chopper daily to travel between Manila and Davao City. 

(We are studying if that qualifies as a criminal case because a lot of people were fooled or misled by those types of posts.)

(If we allow those to propagate, sometimes the people will believe it.)

Duterte "doesn't use government resources for personal purposes," Munsayac said earlier in the day. 

(It's very clear that there's malice on the part of the people who made those claims... That's not true because our Vice President and her family are already based in Manila.)

What malice? For taking Sara's own words at face value? This issue could have been avoided had Sara never thanked the PAW for making sure she is at home each night or at least by clarifying her statement. It's simply another controversy caused solely by her own doing. Perhaps she revels in this kind of negative attention.