[Topic Request] The Dangerous Gravity of Sara Duterte
A follower asked why Sara Duterte attracts corrupt people who end up destroying themselves, so I wrote this to lay out what I’ve been seeing. I went through the patterns, the behavior, and the politics behind it. This is my honest take based on the events we’ve all watched unfold.
11 min read
Hi MCT. Question lang po: bakit ba parang sa kanya dumidikit ang mga corrupt? Bakit sila nagiging destructive? Bakit sila parang nasisiraan at pumapalya nang todo kapag nasa orbit na ni Sara? – Annalyn
Hi Annalyn. Good morning.
I had the same question stuck in my head for months. I ended up writing two separate pieces around it. The first one is about what I call the “Duterte Touch,” a theory that everyone touched by the old man eventually comes out as damaged goods.
The second one is this one, which tries to unpack why the corrupt keep orbiting the Dutertes in general, drawn by the promise of protection.
There’s no neat, definitive answer you can pin down in one line. We can’t prove motives like a math equation. But we can get closer if we look at a few things together: the psychology of loyalty and corruption, the behavior patterns inside her circle, the events that keep repeating, and the people who keep getting burned when they stand too close.
The Gravitational Pull of Sara Duterte’s Corruption Orbit
Why do the corrupt move toward Sara Duterte? Why do they turn destructive? Why do they fall apart the moment they’re pulled into her sphere?
These patterns don’t happen by accident. They come from a leadership style that attracts enablers, demands obedience, and creates an environment where accountability fades until everything eventually breaks.
The Patron-Strongman Architecture That Breeds Corruption
Sara Duterte carries the same political wiring as her father. It’s the old patron-strongman setup where authority is centralized, loyalty is prized, and dissent is treated as betrayal. In Davao City, this approach mixed paternalistic favors with tight control. Orders weren’t debated. They were carried out.
This setup becomes fertile ground for corruption. People aren’t chosen for skill or honesty. They’re picked because they’re obedient and willing to carry out instructions without hesitation. Edward Fajarda, Gina Acosta, Sunshine Fajarda, Zuleika Lopez—none of them were freelancing wrongdoing. They were doing what they were told.
When they finally appeared before the House, their statements exposed the structure that made the scandal possible. Gina Acosta admitted she turned over ₱125 million in confidential funds to military officers based on Sara’s instructions. Edward Fajarda echoed the same pattern, saying he released ₱37.5 million because he was informed by Sara who the designated security officer was.
These weren’t freelance operators. They were cogs in a system designed to keep the top insulated.
Compartmentalization: The Architecture of Deniability
The way I see it, the Office of the Vice President under Sara ran on intentional fragmentation. Even Zuleika Lopez, the chief of staff, said she had no access to confidential funds.
By design and structure, each person handled only their segment. Disbursing officers moved the money. Security officers took over the cash. No one saw the whole picture. Only the person at the center did.
This gave the leader cover while leaving the underlings exposed when scrutiny arrived.
This is what draws corrupt individuals to Sara’s orbit. The system promises cover through opacity. Do your part, don’t ask questions, and you’ll be rewarded. And when things go wrong, you can’t fully implicate the boss because you were never allowed to see the full setup.
The Psychology of Self-Destruction: Why They Take the Fall
Their downfall starts with the same loyalty that once protected them. In the Philippines, patron-client politics still works like an old feudal contract. You protect the patron at any cost because your survival depends on their power.
So when their names surfaced in the investigation, Sara’s people refused to appear. They ignored subpoenas. They acted as shields. But Congress held them in contempt, issued arrest orders, and forced them to show up. One fled to Los Angeles. Others returned with half-answers that only deepened suspicion.
They didn’t think of themselves as corrupt. In their minds, they were following orders. That’s how corruption justifies itself internally: “everyone does it,” “this is part of the job,” “you don’t question the boss.”
But once the inquiry intensifies, they get trapped. They can’t defend themselves without dragging Sara down. They can’t claim innocence because their signatures are on the documents. They can’t admit they were ordered to do it because that breaks the loyalty code that their political safety relies on.
So they collapse under the weight of both choices.
Why Corruption Turns Destructive in Sara’s Orbit
The destruction is both personal and institutional.
Sara’s refusal to take an oath, her insistence that questions are “attacks,” her harsh words for investigators—all of these tell her people that accountability is hostile, not necessary.
The result is a dangerous loop. Officials start resisting scrutiny because the leader treats transparency as an insult. This invites more suspicion. Investigators dig deeper. Eventually the entire structure shows its cracks.
By late 2024, investigators had exposed fake names like “Mary Grace Piattos” on receipts. They discovered that ₱73 million out of the ₱125 million confidential fund was disallowed, burned through in eleven days. They found that more than half of the supposed fund recipients didn’t even exist in the national registry.
What you see here is sloppy and arrogant corruption, built on the assumption that no one would ever check. And Sara fed that assumption every time she framed oversight as persecution.
The Enabler Culture: Quiboloy and the Circle of Impunity
People like Quiboloy thrive in her circle for the same reason. Sara defended him even with overwhelming accusations, painting him as someone being unfairly targeted.
The message to her inner circle becomes clear: stick with me and I’ll protect you, even when your mess is obvious. That message draws in people who need that kind of shield.
But this protection is never permanent. When the costs get high, leaders like the Dutertes step back and let subordinates absorb the damage. The Pharmally scandal showed that pattern before, and the confidential funds scandal shows it again.
Weak Institutions, Strong Patrons: The System’s Real Problem
The Philippines has weak enforcement structures. Impeachment can be stalled. Cases can drag on. Corruption inquiries can disappear into bureaucracy.
This weakness creates a strange dynamic: people self-destruct not because the system is strong, but because once investigations finally move, they expose years of misconduct all at once. There’s no gradual check. It’s silent for years, then explosive.
And Sara’s officials are collapsing now because the protection that once covered them—the Marcos-Duterte alliance—has broken. With that alliance gone, the House suddenly has the will to investigate.
They were untouchable until the politics changed. Then everything came crashing down.
The Self-Destruction Cycle: Attraction, Enablement, Exposure, Collapse, Abandonment
The pattern repeats itself:
Attraction: They join because they’re promised protection, loyalty, and rewards.
Enablement: The structure allows them to commit illegal acts while feeling covered.
Exposure: Once political winds shift, the investigation reveals everything.
Self-destruction: They run, break down, or give testimony that incriminates themselves.
Abandonment: The leader calls the inquiry a political attack, distances herself, and lets them take the consequences.
This isn’t exclusive to Sara. It’s how authoritarian patronage always ends.
Why They Become Destructive
Their destruction spills into the public sphere. It erodes trust, weakens institutions, and drains political energy that should’ve gone to governance. Sara’s hostile responses—her attacks on investigators, her refusal to cooperate, her open clashes—turn a simple audit into a national crisis.
Her people mirror her attitude. They dodge subpoenas and stretch the patience of lawmakers until arrest warrants become the only option. Governance becomes conflict instead of service.
The Fatal Attraction
The corrupt go to Sara Duterte because she rewards loyalty, punishes dissent, and treats oversight as aggression. They become destructive because this approach removes guardrails, encourages shortcuts, and dulls judgment. They self-destruct because the protection they rely on is only political, and political cover can disappear overnight.
This is the cycle of corrupt patronage. The same system that feeds them eventually consumes them. And Sara Duterte has built a machine that leaves behind a trail of damaged careers, exposed acts, and loyalists paying the price.
The mystery was never why they were drawn to her. It’s why they thought they’d avoid the ending everyone else reached.
And you know what’s really scary? You’ll see more of this the moment Sara gets the presidency.
Don’t take my word for it. I put the sources out in the open so you can check every dot I connected and build your own analysis from the same evidence.
Sources:
A patron-strongman who delivers
https://www.prif.org/fileadmin/Daten/Publikationen/Prif_Reports/2020/PRIF0120_barrierefrei.pdfEpitome of Political Leadership in Rodrigo R. Duterte
https://ejournals.ph/article.php?id=3564Philippine Politics Under Duterte: A Midterm Assessment
https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2019/01/philippine-politics-under-duterte-a-midterm-assessment?lang=enHouse recommends perjury, corruption charges vs Sara Duterte
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2069365/house-adopts-blue-ribbon-report-urging-criminal-raps-vs-duterteOVP exec admits handing cash envelopes to DepEd officials
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1238692Sara Duterte's chief of staff denies knowledge on how OVP confidential funds were used
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/927668/zuleika-lopez-ovp-confi-funds/story/4 subpoenaed OVP employees finally attend House hearing
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/928062/ovp-employees-house-budget-use-probe/story/House hearing on alleged misuse of OVP, DepEd funds leaves more questions
https://mindanews.com/top-stories/2024/11/house-hearing-on-alleged-misuse-of-ovp-deped-funds-leaves-more-questions-than-answers/Why Corruption is Systemic in the Philippines
https://jocellebatapasigue.com/2025/09/14/why-corruption-is-systemic-in-the-philippines-and-how-we-can-break-the-cycle/The Enduring Curse of Patronage Politics
https://halalan.up.edu.ph/the-enduring-curse-of-patronage-politics-why-filipinos-should-not-elect-a-patrimonial-president-in-the-2016-elections/House: 1 of 7 OVP officials linked to alleged fund misuse left PH
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2001350/house-1-of-7-ovp-officials-linked-to-alleged-fund-misuse-left-phSara Duterte shows up at House probe into OVP fund
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2008876/sara-duterte-to-attend-house-probe-into-ovp-fundHouse panel orders arrest of four officials of VP Sara Duterte
https://politiko.com.ph/2024/11/11/absent-ulit-house-panel-orders-arrest-of-four-officials-of-vp-sara-duterte/politiko-lokal/VP Sara, 4 OVP officials cited for contempt appear at House probe
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/11/25/2402826/vp-sara-4-ovp-officials-cited-contempt-appear-house-probe-confidential-fundsThe Scientific Explanation of Corruption in Government
https://philarchive.org/archive/MALTSE-2The cognitive psychology of corruption
https://www.u4.no/publications/the-cognitive-psychology-of-corruptionLoyalty to nation, not Sara Duterte
https://opinion.inquirer.net/180733/loyalty-to-nation-not-sara-duterteSara Duterte's chief of staff given last chance to skip probe
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2003583/sara-dutertes-chief-of-staff-given-last-chance-to-skip-house-probeSara skips truth-telling oath, calls inquiry a House attack
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1984688/sara-skips-truth-telling-oath-cries-house-attackVP Duterte's use of public funds triggers search for truth
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2014216/vp-dutertes-use-of-public-funds-triggers-search-for-truthImpeachment of Sara Duterte
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_of_Sara_DutertePalace to VP Sara: Explain OVP, DepEd fund mess
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/966432/palace-to-vp-sara-explain-ovp-deped-fund-mess-too/story/Sara Duterte slams continuing corruption in gov't spending
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/965703/vp-duterte-slams-continuing-corruption-in-gov-t-spending-anomalies-in-budget/story/High-level Corruption Probe Leads to Insults and Death Threats
https://thediplomat.com/2024/11/high-level-corruption-probe-leads-to-insults-and-death-threats-in-the-philippines/Marcos Jr's Philippines rattled by Quiboloy crackdown
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3276013/marcos-jnrs-philippines-rattled-quiboloy-crackdown-anti-corruption-pushSara Duterte: Quiboloy being unfairly targeted
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/03/12/2339993/sara-duterte-quiboloy-being-unfairly-targetedThe End of the Duterte Dynasty?
https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusive/the-end-of-the-duterte-dynasty/House declines VP Sara's request to stay with detained chief of staff
https://mindanews.com/top-stories/2024/11/house-declines-vp-saras-request-to-stay-with-detained-chief-of-staff/Duterte to attend House probe after Lopez detention issue
https://bnc.ph/duterte-to-attend-house-confidential-funds-probe-following-lopezs-detention-controversy/news/Polarized Opinion: The Arrest of Duterte
https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2025/03/polarized-opinion-the-arrest-of-duterte?lang=enCorruption in the Philippines (overview)
https://www.u4.no/publications/overview-of-corruption-and-anti-corruption-in-the-philippines.pdfSC voiding of Sara Duterte impeachment erodes accountability
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2090305/up-law-sc-voiding-of-sara-duterte-impeachment-erodes-accountability153 Lawmakers vs. Sara Duterte
https://kwebanibarok.com/2025/02/05/153-lawmakers-vs-sara-duterte-accountability-or-political-retribution/Philippine Journal of Public Administration
https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/PJPA_2010_Final.pdfPhilippines' political feud takes a dramatic turn
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gzn4j0g20oWith Public Tirade, VP Sara widens rift with Marcos clan
https://thediplomat.com/2024/10/with-public-tirade-philippine-vice-president-further-widens-rift-with-marcos-clan/The Great Implosion: When A Government Destroys Itself
https://pageone.ph/the-great-implosion-when-a-government-destroys-itself/A look at the country's patronage politics
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2022/04/03/2171823/look-countrys-patronage-politicsThe influence of perceived government corruption on society
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-25371-3Investigators file criminal complaints vs Philippine VP
https://www.voanews.com/a/investigators-file-criminal-complaints-against-philippine-vice-president/7971948.htmlPsychological, Behavioral, and Economic Perspectives on Corruption
https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/ijpp/international-journal-of-psychology-and-psychoanalysis-ijpp-4-033.php?jid=ijppOmbudsman: Sara Duterte must answer House corruption charges
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2073041/ombudsman-sara-duterte-must-answer-house-corruption-chargesThe Fall of Sara Duterte
https://www.facebook.com/InsurersForLeni/posts/the-fall-of-sara-duterte-a-dynasty-crumbling-under-its-own-lies-once-hailed-as-t/748461207701700/Sara Duterte responds to corruption allegations
https://www.globallegalinsights.com/news/philippines-vp-sara-duterte-files-counter-affidavit-over-misuse-of-funds-allegations/Sara Duterte’s corruption case, a blow to education
https://www.ibon.org/sara-dutertes-corruption-case-a-crushing-blow-to-education/VP asks dismissal of confidential funds cases
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1225695Confidential Funds Controversy Erupts in Philippines
https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/confidential-funds-controversy-erupts-in-philippines/VP Sara releases video statement
https://www.facebook.com/rapplerdotcom/posts/vice-president-sara-duterte-on-monday-november-17-released-a-video-statement-con/1365760688919329/Sara Duterte hits Marcos Jr. over deception claims
https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/17/sara-duterte-hits-marcos-jr-s-lack-of-direction-resolve-in-corruption-probe-1309VP Sara hits Marcos for budget mess
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/11/17/2487894/vp-sara-hits-marcos-budget-mess-amid-buried-confidential-funds-issueControversy over confidential funds
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1203728010022034/posts/2126662337728592/Palace, Sara Duterte trade barbs
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2142037/palace-duterte-trade-barbs-after-vp-hits-antigraft-probePalace to VP Sara: Explain fund allegations
https://www.facebook.com/sunstardavaonews/posts/malaca%C3%B1ang-urged-vice-president-sara-duterte-to-first-explain-prior-allegations-/1300307678804111/Why the OVP, DepEd need confidential funds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-SdDczyLgwSara Duterte seeks accountability vs corruption, flood control issues
https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/11/sara-duterte-seeks-accountability-vs-corruption-flood-control-anomalies-1648VP Sara slams Marcos over deception claims
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3282999/philippines-vp-sara-slams-marcos-over-deception-claims-i-imagined-myself-cutting-his-headHouse submitted its Committee Report to Ombudsman
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1203728010022034/posts/2399806063747550/VP Sara Duterte faces impeachment
https://www.newsweek.com/vp-sara-duterte-impeachment-threatened-president-1993947Another DepEd exec says envelopes came from Sara
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1994116/another-deped-exec-says-envelopes-allegedly-from-sara-reached-him-tooVP Sara decries contempt order
https://bnc.ph/house-cites-4-ovp-officials-for-contempt-orders-arrest/news/PNP files charges vs VP Sara Duterte
https://www.facebook.com/pnp.pio/posts/pnp-files-multiple-charges-against-vp-sara-duterte-and-security-detaila-formal-c/1039005468270850/Former DepEd disbursing officer says he was instructed by Sara
https://www.facebook.com/rapplerdotcom/posts/former-deped-disbursing-officer-edward-fajarda-says-he-was-instructed-by-vice-pr/1070621338433267/How a Philippine Court handed Duterte family another victory
https://time.com/7305463/philippines-impeachment-sara-duterte-supreme-court/VP Sara Duterte attends House panel hearing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnqPc4fjWQ0VP Sara denied allegations of habitual absence
https://www.facebook.com/ONENewsPH/posts/vice-president-sara-duterte-denied-allegations-of-her-habitual-absence-from-her-/1267409262081089/Beneath the Ballot: Understanding Filipino Political Culture
https://www.factsasia.org/blog/beneath-the-ballot-understanding-filipino-political-cultureSara’s chief of staff detained for contempt
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/11/21/2401875/saras-chief-staff-detained-contemptAnalysing Rodrigo Duterte's Defeat
https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/power-plays-and-legal-reckoning-analysing-rodrigo-dutertes-defeat-against-ferdinand-marcos-and-the-implications-of-icc-prosecution/VP Sara Duterte takes oath at House probe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZvcJ095fOoZuleika Lopez returns months after detention
https://www.facebook.com/sunstardavaonews/posts/zuleika-is-backmonths-after-her-detention-zuleika-lopez-vice-president-sara-dute/1060151429486405/VP Sara has an established political base
https://www.facebook.com/SMG8888/posts/vp-sara-already-has-an-established-political-base-unlike-the-anti-duterte-haters/25315740194676139/Six officials of Sara Duterte face subpoena
https://politiko.com.ph/2024/10/17/six-officials-of-sara-duterte-face-house-subpoena-immigration-lookout-order/headlines/No need for loyalty check amid Marcos-Duterte rift
https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/11/26/no-need-for-loyalty-check-amid-marcos-duterte-rift-afp-1342Creating virtuous circles of good governance
https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/RgulatingCampaignFinance_Gonzales.pdfCorruption is in our blood myth
https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.s.manalo/posts/-are-filipinos-corrupt-by-nature-mythcorruption-is-in-our-blood-its-just-the-fil/10163088968940642/Corruption in the Philippines: Kleptocracy
https://www.facebook.com/groups/784475333039562/posts/1115321043288321/Marcos cashiers aides to contain scandal
https://www.asiasentinel.com/p/marcos-cashiers-aides-attempt-contain-scandalCorruption in public projects and megaprojects
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0263786316301090House probe retraces bulk withdrawals
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2007438/house-probe-retraces-bulk-withdrawals-of-confi-fundsSara Duterte says Marcos should be liable for flood control scandal
https://www.facebook.com/tribunephl/posts/sara-duterte-says-marcos-should-be-held-liable-for-flood-control-scandalvice-pre/1241510971358654/Understanding corruption and social norms
https://rtipress.scholasticahq.com/article/88309-understanding-corruption-and-social-norms-a-case-study-in-natural-resource-managementQuiboloy sanctioned by US Treasury
https://globalnation.inquirer.net/209008/quiboloy-sanctioned-by-the-us-treasury-dept-over-corruption-human-rights-abusePerformance accountability and combating corruption
https://internationalbudget.org/wp-content/uploads/Performance-Accountability-and-Combating-Corruption.pdfSabotage: Corruption’s counterattack
https://map.org.ph/sabotage-corruptions-counterattack-against-every-bold-reform/Impeachment key component of democracy
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/12/01/2404126/impeachment-key-component-democracyDuterte's assaults on civil society
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/18681034231209504On power and its corrupting effects
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10461512/Political corruption: An introduction
https://www.cmi.no/publications/file/1040-political-corruption.pdfPolitical corruption
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_corruptionCase Study of the Philippines (Desmond Smith)
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/43503.pdfPublic opinion, polarization, and pushback
https://democratic-erosion.org/2025/05/18/public-opinion-polarization/Psychology of political power
https://blog.apaonline.org/2022/03/11/the-psychology-of-political-power-does-power-corrupt-or-is-it-magnetic-to-the-most-corruptible/Renegotiating Ex-Convict Labels
https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1583&context=apssrLicense to Kill: Police killings in Drug War
https://www.hrw.org/report/2017/03/02/license-kill/philippine-police-killings-dutertes-war-drugsDPWH is a lost case due to corruption
https://www.facebook.com/groups/238724269036673/posts/749193117989783/Inquirer year-end political chronicle
https://www.facebook.com/inquirerdotnet/posts/this-past-year-the-inquirer-stood-witness-to-a-nation-at-a-crossroads-from-the-i/1252218760422410/President Rodrigo Duterte's Radical Leadership
https://ses-journal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SES-Journal-Article-1-Special-Issue-2-2022.pdfPBBM lays out reforms to prevent DPWH corruption
https://pco.gov.ph/news_releases/pbbm-lays-out-reforms-to-prevent-repeat-of-dpwh-corruption-transparency-portal-being-created-for-public-access-to-info-on-govt-projects/Lawmakers remind VP Sara transparency is not optional
https://www.facebook.com/inquirerdotnet/posts/lawmakers-have-reminded-vice-president-sara-duterte-that-transparency-is-not-opt/935259852118304/The Philippines 2017: Duterte-led authoritarian populism
https://www.asiamaior.org/the-journal/10-asia-maior-vol-xxviii-2017/the-philippines-2017-duterte-led-authoritarian-populism-and-its-liberal-democratic-roots.htmlOmbudsman journal volume 17
https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/docs/publication/OMB_journal_Vol17.pdfVP Duterte refuses oath during House hearing
https://www.facebook.com/ONENewsPH/videos/nakalagay-po-sa-rules-nyo-witnesses-lang-ang-nag-o-oath-wala-po-kayong-rules-sa-/809373254608594/The Specter of Neo-Authoritarianism in the Philippines
https://www.jstor.org/stable/48614178Philippines: Overview of corruption and anti-corruption efforts
https://knowledgehub.transparency.org/helpdesk/philippines-overview-of-corruption-and-anticorruption-effortsVP Sara’s threat vs PBBM violates Anti-Terror Law
https://www.facebook.com/ONENewsPH/videos/tbs-vp-saras-threat-vs-pbbm-violates-anti-terror-law-doj/1736275817226057/Emotional connection of DDS supporters
https://www.facebook.com/groups/296585457540183/posts/2136364646895579/Practice good governance and improve bureaucracy
https://pdp.depdev.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Chapter-14.pdf
Contact us
subscribe to morning coffee thoughts today!
inquiry@morningcoffeethoughts.org
© 2024. All rights reserved.