Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday called on the government and the public to treat gun violence as a national concern, saying the issue should not be reduced to headlines or political discussions.
In a statement issued on July 30, Duterte said the prevalence of gun-related violence in the Philippines reflects the daily reality faced by many Filipinos and should be addressed as a matter of public safety.
“Gun violence is a reality, not just a clickbait,” the Vice President said.
Duterte stressed that shootings and other violent crimes have become increasingly common, creating fear and uncertainty among ordinary citizens.
“It is a fact that gun violence in the Philippines has become alarmingly commonplace. This is not clickbait, nor is it a headline that should be reduced to a passing remark,” she said.
She added that the issue goes beyond political narratives and should instead focus on the safety and welfare of the Filipino people.
“This is not merely a ‘Duterte and kill, kill, kill’; it reflects the daily reality faced by Filipinos on the streets wondering whether they can go home safely,” Duterte said.
According to the Vice President, repeated reports of shootings, killings, kidnappings, stabbings, sexual violence, and other crimes have led many Filipinos to become desensitized to incidents of violence.
“Reports of shootings, killings, and other violent crimes have become so frequent that many Filipinos have grown accustomed to seeing them in the news,” she said.
She also argued that the continuing incidents have weakened the public's sense of security.
“The reality is — Filipinos do not feel safe,” Duterte said.
The Vice President urged authorities to make public safety a national priority, emphasizing that the issue affects future generations.
“The safety of the Filipino people must be treated as a national priority, not a mere single line of news item. This is not just about a remark and another news for Sara Duterte, this is about our children and their future,” she said.
Duterte ended her statement by calling for justice and offering a message for the country.
“Justice for Filipinos! God save the Philippines!” she said.
The statement follows public discussion over Duterte's recent remarks on gun violence during her speech in The Hague, where she used a hypothetical example while highlighting concerns about public safety in the Philippines.
