WATCH: Palace hits back at Sara Duterte over oil price criticismMANILA, Philippines — Malacañang pushed back against Vice President Sara Duterte's criticism of the government's response to rising oil prices linked to tensions in the Middle East. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro questioned Duterte's claim that the administration failed to prepare for the possibility of a global oil crisis. The vice president earlier said the government should have begun preparing as early as 2022 for potential conflict in Iran. "Kung siya'y may alam as early as 2022 at hindi man lang niya ito binanggit diretso sa ating mga kababayan, sino ang hindi nagtrabaho? "Kung hindi niya ito sinabi, definitely this is a breach of public trust," she said.

Source: Philippine Star March 14, 2026 01:01 UTC