Hijacked Victimhood: The Political Communication Strategy of Vice President Sara Duterte in Congress Hearings

Abstract

This article examines the way in which hijacked victimhood was used to evade accountability and preserve the power of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio at three congressional hearings. To achieve its goals, the study used the concept of indexicals to identify linguistic forms that signal a repurposing of the traditional concept of victimhood. The study found five discursive devices of victimhood employed to demonise critics, deflect their criticism, and elicit public sympathy and support. Through these discursive strategies, the vice president avoided critical scrutiny of her budget during the hearings, which could have caused her legal difficulties. She launched personal attacks against her opponents through her answers, a tactic
that appears in populist rhetoric. The results highlight the need for critical vigilance and analysis of political communication in the Philippines to ensure that concepts traditionally associated with campaigns for justice for actual victims of harm are not reconfigured to serve partisan purposes.