Duterte tells leaders: Don't be motivated by ‘cash, cocaine or champagne’

Metro Manila, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte advised public officials not to be motivated by “cash, cocaine or champagne” in another tirade against the Marcos administration.

This seeming attack made by Duterte on Friday, Aug. 9, also came with another criticism of the government’s flood control measures.

“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 wrote.

The “cocaine” was seen as a reference to a video released by pro-Duterte supporters showing a man, supposedly President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., sniffing a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine. The video has been debunked by government officials.

The “champagne,” on the other hand, seemingly referred to another viral video where First Lady Liza Marcos was seen sipping from the wine glass of Senate President Chiz Escudero.

Duterte’s statement came as Escudero answered an earlier comment made by the vice president regarding flood mitigating measures.

The vice president took a swipe at the government's flood control plan after Metro Manila and neighboring provinces were flooded during the onslaught of super typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon.

“What is perplexing is her questioning the absence of a flood masterplan two years into the administration of PBBM after the previous administration had six years to develop one, but was unable to do so,” Escudero said.

Marcos’ predecessor was Sara’s father Rodrigo Duterte.

“Matagal nang problema ang pagbabaha sa bansa; kung meron kasing nagawa na o nasimulan man lang po noon, eh di meron na po sana tayong napapatupad na ngayon,” the Senate president said.

[Translation: Flooding has been a perennial problem of the country. If actions had been made in the past, at least we could have implemented them now.]

He added that Duterte can “do something tangible” about the perennial problem of flooding using “her position, resources and platform.”

For her part, Duterte said she was using her position to be “the voice for my fellow Filipinos who are left unheard.”

She said that as Davao mayor before, she told city officials to study flood control and drainage.

“Kaya nga mayroong nagawa ang PRRD administration sa flood planning,” the vice president. “Nasimulan noong Setyembre 2016 at na-publish noong Hulyo 2023 ang Master Plan and Feasibility Study for Flood Control.”

[Translation: That’s why the Duterte administration had something done for flood planning. The Master Plan and Feasibility Study for Flood Control started in September 2016 and was published in July 2023.]

What she referred to was the plan that came from the assistance of the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

“Baka naman gusto nang pondohan ang mga infrastructure projects na naaayon sa masterplan? O baka naman may alinlangan pa hinggil dito dahil Duterte ang mayor at mas mamarapatin nilang gibain na lang?” she also claimed. Her brother Sebastian is the incumbent Davao mayor.

[Translation: Maybe it’s time to fund infrastructure projects aligned with the masterplan. Or maybe there is doubt about this because the mayor is a Duterte and the government would like to destroy those projects.]

The Department of Public Works and Highways told a Senate committee hearing that the government has no integrated flood control master plan, but only separate master plans for the 18 river basins in the country.