Vice President Sara Duterte delivers her speech during the celebration of the 91st anniversary of the Office of the Vice President in Mandaluyong City on October 12, 2026. (Photo by Manny Palmero)
Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday questioned President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s warning that her family’s alleged Chinese funding links could threaten national security, saying the same reasoning could cast suspicion on Filipino businesses that trade with China or provoke a backlash against them.
Duterte also accused Mr. Marcos of using the issue to divert attention from his administration’s failure to resolve the territorial dispute with Beijing in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
She made the remarks after the President said the Department of National Defense was thoroughly investigating allegations that Chinese funds reached a company linked to her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
China is the country’s top trading partner – with bilateral trade reaching $87.73 billion in 2023—and main source of imports, alongside being a major market for Philippine electronics, semiconductors, nickel ores, and agricultural products like bananas.
Economic analysts noted in recent studies that major trade disruptions or sanctions could put hundreds of thousands of Filipino jobs at risk in electronics, mining, and agriculture while driving up inflation.
‘Palace considered VP a threat since 2023’
“This is concerning because it implies that businesses engaged in trade with China pose a threat to the country. There are so many businesses that export to or import from China,” Duterte said in a chance interview after the kickoff celebration of the Office of the Vice President’s 91st anniversary.
She said Marcos’ remarks appeared to confirm that the administration had considered her a national security threat since 2023.
“It is concerning that such a statement came from Marcos because it is tantamount to admitting that they have viewed me as a threat since 2023. It is alarming because he is saying that the vice president is a threat to the country,” she said.
Duterte also warned that Marcos’ remarks could damage relations with Beijing and have wider security implications for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
She claimed the administration was using the allegations to justify deploying intelligence and law enforcement agencies against her for political reasons.
House calls for full-scale investigation
Meanwhile, House lead prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro called for a full-scale investigation into the transactions, citing potential national security implications amid continuing tensions in the WPS.
She said the transactions warranted scrutiny because of the territorial dispute with China and the connection between the company and the family of one of the country’s highest officials.
House impeachment team adviser and spokesperson Ace Barbers also said Mr. Marcos had reason to be alarmed by the reported remittances, particularly if an investigation established that the money had been used to finance Duterte’s political activities.
The National Security Council earlier said it would coordinate with intelligence and investigative agencies to assess any national security implications arising from the reported transactions.
Duterte said she was prepared to answer former senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s allegations, which she described as part of a broader political attack against her. Her camp has denied the accusations and said it was considering filing criminal charges against Trillanes.
Trillanes earlier alleged that more than P319 million in Chinese funds flowed through Cale88 Foods Corp., a company linked to Carpio.
The former senator also claimed that the Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines Inc., a foundation associated with Duterte, received P150 million from the Chinese Embassy in 2019 to build 13 classrooms.