Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday denied any involvement in a supposed "Save The Queen" operation or plans to make her the next president of the Philippines.
Her statement followed former Bureau of Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban’s allegations during a House quad committee hearing last week, where he claimed that a series of killings carried out by the so-called "Davao mafia" were part of a scheme "to 'save the queen' and secure the presidency."
Guban further alleged that Davao City Rep. Paolo "Pulong" Duterte and the vice president’s husband, Mans Carpio, were part of this conspiracy.
"Wala namang gagawa ng operation na sasabihin niya ano ang objective ng operation niya," Duterte told reporters during a press briefing in Bacolod City on Monday afternoon.
"Napaka-obvious naman siguro na parang tipong ang aming operation ay to make sure that she becomes president at ang pangalan ng operation namin ay ‘Save the Queen.’ Parang walang tanga na operator na ipapangalan mo sa operation mo kung ano ang objective mo," she added.
When asked about her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, advising her to leave politics, Vice President Duterte acknowledged that many people are relying on her for the nation’s future, and that she cannot simply walk away from her role.
"I would also like to step away, but I have to answer to the 32.2 million Filipinos who trusted me to be the vice president for everyone, not just the 32.2 million," she said.
"There will come a time when I will step back from politics, but we never know what tomorrow will bring. We can only plan, but ultimately, God’s purpose will prevail."
During the House Quad Committee hearing on Monday, four officials from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) were cited in contempt for failing to attend the proceedings.
The hearing centers on the OVP and Department of Education’s (DepEd) spending under the leadership of the Vice President.
