VP Sara: Marcos, ex-president Duterte both respect women’s issues

Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio delivers a message in this file photo taken on December 30, 2018 at Rizal Park in Davao City. KING RODRIGUEZ / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte said in a statement on Tuesday that both President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and former President Rodrigo Duterte were both men who had hearts that respected a woman’s will.

“On separate occasions, the President and the former President similarly expressed concerns over my well-being. I assured them that I would take care of myself as I carry out my duties and responsibilities as Vice President and the Secretary of the Department of Education,” Vice President Duterte said in a video posted on her official Facebook page.

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“It is clear that both men are blessed with the heart to respect the will of a woman,” she added.

“Both leaders are also gifted with the wisdom to know that I am not a problem and I do not need to be solved, rather, this is the time to focus on the work that needs to be done for the country,” she continued.

Vice President Duterte also raised the issue of how violence and terrorism causes plights of poverty, lack of livelihood, and other problems in education, citing four soldiers who were slain in an ambush, namely Corporal Crezaldy Espartero, Private First Class Carl Araña, Private Jessie James Corpuz, and Private Marvin Dumaguing.

“As a Mindanaoan, I am a witness to how violence spawned poverty, lack of livelihood, internal displacement, and inequitable access to education opportunities for our children and the youth, which ultimately made the violence of radicalism more appealing to them,” she said.

“The death of four soldiers in an ambush in Maguindanao del Sur points us to the painful truth that terrorism remains a fundamental problem that requires our collective action as a nation,” she added.

She likewise urged the public to fight against terrorism and to support the education of children, as well as the military.

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“Lumaban tayo kontra terorismo. Suportahan natin ang edukasyon ng kabataan. Suportahan natin ang ating kasundalohan sa pamamagitan ng pagbigay impormasyon tungkol sa kalaban,” she said.

(Let us fight against terrorism. Let us support the education of children. Let us support our military by giving information about the enemy.)