Sara Duterte: DILG chief Remulla wanted drama, look at Romualdez arrest

Vice President Sara Duterte FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — “Siya yung may gusto ng drama.” (He is the one who wanted drama.) Vice President Sara Duterte said this of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla in response to the latter’s remarks that she supposedly wanted to be jailed in Camp Crame amid the order to arrest her last week for grave threats. Article continues after this advertisement “Yung totoong drama, kung makikita ninyo, yung pag-aresto kay Martin Romualdez,” she added. (The real drama, if you will see, was the arrest of Martin Romualdez.) The Inquirer sought comment from Remulla, but he has yet to respond as of this writing. READ: Sara Duterte initially wanted to be detained at Camp Crame – Remulla Duterte faces three counts of grave threats before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98 in connection with her November 2024 remarks claiming to have contacted an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and presidential cousin then-House Speaker Romualdez if she was killed. Article continues after this advertisement The court ordered her arrest last Sept. 4. She posted P360,000 in bail the following day. Last Monday, Remulla claimed that Duterte initially wanted to be detained in Camp Crame despite the charges against her being bailable. Article continues after this advertisement “Ang drama nila gusto nila makulong siya. Hindi kami pumayag. We wanted to go according to the rules of law and the rules of court,” he said. (They wanted drama. They wanted her detained. We didn’t allow it. We wanted to go according to the rules of law and the rules of court.) In response to Remulla’s claims, Duterte said, “Sa mga susunod na araw, magre-release kami ng statement patungkol dito.” (In the coming days, we will release a statement regarding this.) Romualdez, meanwhile, was arrested for plunder later last Monday in connection with over P7 billion worth of alleged kickbacks in various government projects from 2022 to 2025. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. He was served his arrest warrant and subjected to booking procedures while in his hospital bed at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City due to a variety of purported ailments including a “cardiovascular event” and an anxiety attack. /jpv