By Gabriel Bernales
Let’s be real for a second: if any of us treated our jobs the way Vice President Sara Duterte treats hers, we wouldn’t just be getting a “performance review.” We’d be getting escorted out of the building by security while our Slack access was being revoked in real-time.
But in the high-stakes, low-logic world of Philippine politics, 2026 finds us still asking the same question we’ve been asking since the Uniteam went from a wedding reception to a Red Wedding: Where exactly is the accountability?
We all remember the “Shiminet” era. It was funny until it wasn’t. What started as a meme about a refusal to answer budget questions has evolved into a full-blown governing philosophy. It seems the VP’s strategy for handling criticism is simple: if you don’t like the question, act like the person asking it is a personal bully.
It’s a bold move. Let’s see if it pays off.
When she was at the helm of DepEd, we were promised “MATATAG.” Instead, we got a resignation letter just as the going got tough. Leading a department isn’t just about showing up for the photo-ops in a camo vest; it’s about fixing the literal and figurative ceiling falling on our students’ heads.
When the Commission on Audit (COA) drops a Notice of Disallowance for hundreds and millions spent in 11 days, the response shouldn’t be a script about political persecution. If I spent that huge amount of money in 11 days without receipts, my bank wouldn’t send me a letter; they’d send a SWAT team.
There is a striking irony in a Vice President who is incredibly vocal about personal feuds but strangely silent on national sovereignty. The West Philippine Sea? Crickets. The ICC investigation into her father? Suddenly, it’s all about “sovereignty” again.
It feels less like leadership and more like a Main Character Syndrome spin-off. She’s present for the drama, but “out of office” for the actual work of being the second-highest official in the land.
Accountability isn’t a suggestion; it’s the job description. You can’t claim the perks of the palace while treating the responsibilities like an unwanted spam email.
As we look at the latest performance ratings, which, let’s face it, are sliding faster than a Duterte-Marcos friendship, it’s clear the public is catching on. You can only blame the “dilawans”, the “pinklawans”, or the “New York supporters” for so long before people realize the common denominator in all these controversies is, well, her.
Responsibility means owning the mess, not just the mandate. Competence means showing the receipts, not just the attitude.
If the OVP continues to operate like a “confidential” black box where money goes in and vague excuses come out, then the “impeachment” talks aren’t just political noise, they’re a performance review 31 million people are finally starting to read.
We hired a Vice President, but we seem to have gotten a full-time influencer for the “Davao Dynasty” brand. It’s time to stop the “Shiminet” and start the “She-did-her-job.” Or, at the very least, just show us where those money went. Is that too much to ask?
