MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte said she is fully prepared to assume the presidency should President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. step down amid the ongoing flood control controversy.
Several sectors have called for Marcos to resign after former lawmaker Elizaldy Co accused him of making budget insertions related to the scandal, allegations Marcos has denied.
In an interview in Davao City on Tuesday, Duterte emphasized her constitutional role as first in the line of succession.
“I presented myself as a vice-presidential candidate, knowing I am first in the line of succession. There is no question about what I would do. That is the foremost mandate of the Constitution, and I knew that from the time I ran and you elected me as vice president,” she said.
Duterte also stressed that she would uphold and defend the Constitution, rejecting any attempts outside legal processes to force her resignation, a response to militant groups that have urged her to step down amid her own controversies.