Sara Duterte’s knack for attending wakes has become her defining act of “public service”—a gesture of deep, if performative, sympathy. Whether comforting grieving families or dodging legislative hearings, her commitment to the art of pakikiramay knows no bounds.

Recently, her own staff have found themselves metaphorically six feet under, grilled by lawmakers over the alleged misuse of her office’s confidential funds.

But worry not, the vice president’s sympathy flows abundantly, even for the living dead—her loyal aides who valiantly sacrifice their reputations and careers to shield their unyielding boss.

It’s almost poetic: as Sara mourns the dearly departed, she also mourns the erosion of accountability, burying transparency alongside those pesky legislative inquiries.

Why face the living when the dead offer no rebuttal? Perhaps she believes in reincarnation—of trust, of loyalty, or of missing funds. For now, Sara’s strategy seems clear: sympathy is free, accountability is not.