MANILA, Philippines — The Dutertes are trying to “dominate the national scene” amid a possible showdown for the vice presidency between the family’s patriarch and his daughter, Senator Risa Hontiveros told INQside Look on Monday.
Hontiveros made the remark amid the looming face-off between President Rodrigo Duterte and Davao City mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio for the vice-presidential post.
“What we are seeing in this possible scenario that may shape up today ay iyung ganyang klaseng istilo ng pulitika sa local (this style we see in local politics),” Hontiveros said.
“In a way namimihasa na rin sila Presidente sa ganyan, subukang idomina ang national scene, the way they have tried [to dominate]—in a prime city scene or province or region—at nakita natin yung epekto nito in the last half decade in terms of human rights situation, in terms of economic management lalo na ngayong pandemya, in terms of national sovereignty,” the senator added.
(In a way, President Duterte is specializing in that—attempting to dominate the national scene and trying to dominate the prime city scene or province or region. And we have seen the effects of this in the last half-decade in terms of human rights situation, in terms of economic management especially in this pandemic.)
Hontiveros stressed that members of the same family vying for the same government post are only usually seen in the local posts, which are “hurtful” not only for their respective families but also their constituents.
“Choice yan ni Presidente kung yun ang gusto nya pero talagang kung matuloy ang ganyang face-off, makikita natin sa national stage yung isang napakasakit na face off na nakikita natin usually sa local levels,” Hontiveros said.
(That is the President’s choice if he wants that face-off, but we will see in the national stage a painful face-off that we only usually see at local levels.)
“At kahit sa local ang sakit ng tingnan para sa mga pamilya lalo na sa national. Of course, kapag ganung klaseng face off ang makita natin sa VP race, ang nasasaktan dyan hindi lang isang pamilya but I would say the whole national family dahil saan ka naman nakakita ng ganyang klaseng candidacies,” she added.
(Even in local it looks painful for the families, what more in the national level. Of course, when we see those kinds of face-offs in the vice presidential race, not only are their families hurt but the whole national family because where can you see such candidacies?)
Asked if she believes this is a genuine face-off between the Dutertes or a mere political play, Hontiveros said: “Hindi ko masabi kung genuine face off ito. It could be, in which case napakasakit para sa alinmang pamilya.”
(I cannot say if this is a genuine face-off. It could be, in which case, this is painful for any family.)
“Pero kung hindi naman ito totoong face off at taktika ito, I wouldn’t put it past the president, napakastreet smart nila (But if this is just a tactic, I wouldn’t put it past the president. They are street-smart),” the senator added.