Sara dares solon to reveal source of alleged anti-Cayetano text

MANILA, Philippines – Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio dared Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor to identify the source of a supposed text message from her circulating among lawmakers asking them to reject Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano as the next House speaker.

The Presidential daughter posed the challenge after Defensor, on Tuesday night bared receiving a text message from someone “very close” to Sara, saying President Duterte was “set-up by greedy Cabinet members” allied with Cayetano, whom Duterte earlier announced will share terms with Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco.

READ: Duterte pushes for Cayetano-Velasco term-sharing for Speaker

The message read: “Hi sir! I have the go signal of Mayor Inday to publish. ‘Kaya nanawagan siya ngayon sa lahat ng mga Congressmen na bumoto ayon sa kanilang kagustuhan dahil ang kanya ama ay na set-up lamang ng mga gahaman na gabinete na kaalyado ni Cayetano.’ — Mayor Inday.”

In a statement Wednesday, Sara urged Defensor to “stop sowing intrigue” and name the source of his revelation.

“Give us the name of the neophyte member of the House of Representatives from whom you received a text message with a supposed message coming from me. A responsible individual would have asked me if there is truth to the text,” Sara said.

The Davao City mayor claimed that she was not in “panic” hours before the President met the candidates for speaker in Malacañang.

President Duterte eventually endorsed the term-sharing setup between Cayetano and Velasco.

“Other way around”

Sara said that it was in fact Defensor who reached out to her through Atty. Charo Munsayac, “making last-minute requests for Rep. Romualdez to which I said that I will not interfere in that matter.”

“After the meeting, Rep. Defensor reached out again and I recognized that he was trying to light a fire about the term sharing decision that came out of the meeting last Monday. I played dumb to end the conversation,” Sara said.

The presidential daughter even shared to media screenshots of her conversation with Munsayac to prover her claim.

Sara said that if she has anything against the result of the meeting in Malacañang, she will not “cowardly hide behind an alleged ‘panawagan’.

“I reiterate for Rep. Defensor to name his source because I have a reputation to protect and I have the right to confront a person who is spreading disinformation. Otherwise, we can all say that you are your own source,” she said.

READ: ‘Not mine,’ Sara Duterte says of text urging Cayetano’s rejection

President Duterte’s influential children, Sara and her brother, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, created the “Duterte Coalition” to support the speakership bid of Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab.

The coalition has yet to comment on the President’s endorsement of the Cayetano-Velasco term-sharing agreement. (Editor: Gilbert S. Gaviola)