MANILA — Malacañang on Monday called on Vice President Sara Duterte to first explain previous allegations linked to her tenure as Education secretary before criticizing the administration over corruption and governance issues.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Duterte should not portray herself as “righteous” while questions about her past remain unresolved.

“Huwag magmalinis ang hindi malinis. Huwag magpakabayani ang hindi bayani (One should not pretend to be clean if they are not. One should not act like a hero if they are not),” Castro said.

She cited earlier concerns about Duterte’s use of confidential funds, as well as alleged “ghost students” and “ghost food packs” during her time at DepEd.

“Totoong Filipinos deserve better kaya ‘yung mga naunang issue sa bise presidente… ay dapat na unahing maipaliwanag kung naniniwala sila sa transparency at accountability (It’s true Filipinos deserve better, which is why the earlier issues involving the Vice President should first be clarified if they truly believe in transparency and accountability),” Castro added.

Castro also noted that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. initiated investigations into anomalies that were not reviewed by the previous administration.

“Si Pangulong Marcos Jr. ang nanguna sa pagpapaimbestiga ng mga anomalya na hindi ginawa noong nakaraang administrasyon kahit napakaraming ghost projects noon pang 2020 (President Marcos Jr. initiated the investigations into anomalies that the previous administration did not act on, even when there were numerous ghost projects as far back as 2020),” she said.

She emphasized that the public should prioritize leaders who demonstrate accountability.

“Again, Filipinos really deserve better kaya mamili ng tamang leader na iluluklok (Again, Filipinos really deserve better, so we must choose the right leaders),” Castro added.

(PNA)