President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. answered Vice President Sara Duterte’s claim that his administration wants to “prevent the 2028 elections” with a brief laugh and no comment on Monday, Sept. 28.
A day earlier, Malacañang had challenged the Vice President to back her accusations with evidence.
A Laugh, Then He Turned Away
Reporters asked Marcos for his reaction during a media interview in Pasay City, Inquirer reported.
The President, “not giving any comment on the matter, just laughed for a brief moment and turned his back on the media,” according to Inquirer.
GMA News reported that Marcos was attending the Recognition of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Participating Schools and Education Partners at the President Corazon “Cory” C. Aquino National High School in Pasay City at the time.
Inquirer also noted that Marcos has categorically denied claims that he is pushing for a no-election scenario in 2028 to extend his six-year term.
What VP Sara Said
The Vice President made the accusation while denying allegations from Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., a dismissed police officer who served as a security officer for then-House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, GMA News and Inquirer reported.
Gracioso claims that, on Velasco’s instructions, he delivered suitcases containing more than P2 billion in cash to the Vice President, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, Inquirer reported.
The National Bureau of Investigation is investigating his claims, and both Velasco and Duterte have denied them.
“I do not know Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., nor have I ever received any money from him,” Duterte said in a statement on Friday, according to Inquirer.
She added: “The desperation of the administration to bring me down, push for Charter change, prevent the 2028 elections, and cling to power is becoming increasingly diabolical.”
The Vice President called the allegations “nothing more than another media stunt, an attempt to breathe life into a faltering impeachment case,” Inquirer reported.
She said her lawyers are waiting for an official copy of Gracioso’s affidavit from the NBI so they can start preparing cases against him.
“Once we are done dismantling the lies contained in his testimony, it will end up in the trash bin—just like the one from Ramil Madriaga,” Duterte said, according to Inquirer.
Palace: “Where Did She Get Such Rumors?”
On Sunday, Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Vice President should answer the corruption allegations with evidence instead of pointing fingers at the administration, Inquirer reported.
Castro said Gracioso’s claims should be investigated, but the truth must be established before any judgment is made.
“If such information is coming to light, we cannot turn a blind eye to it. We cannot simply ignore it. It needs to be investigated, and if anything is proven, then it should [be acted upon],” she told state-run PTV, according to Inquirer.
“If she does fall, the administration will not be responsible for it. If she falls, it will be because of her own actions,” Castro said.
“She cannot simply point her fingers at the administration just to evade the issues she is currently facing involving corruption.”
On the Charter change claim, Castro turned the question back to the Vice President.
“Perhaps it would be better to ask the Vice President where she got such rumors,” she said.
“You cannot simply talk about charter change when we do not see anything moving toward charter change.”
Where Cha-cha Stands
Amending the 1987 Constitution has been off the table for Marcos in recent months, with Malacañang saying he is more focused on growing the economy amid global crises, Inquirer reported.
The President has tried to distance himself from Charter change, although he has said in the past that he would conditionally support it.
Why It Matters
The exchange comes as the Vice President’s impeachment trial continues in the Senate and the 2028 elections draw closer.
For now, neither side has presented proof of its claims about the other: the Gracioso allegations remain under NBI investigation, and the Palace says it sees no move toward Charter change or any plan to block the 2028 vote.
