Sara Duterte says Marcos, dad urged her to back their senatorial bets
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday said she was approached by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, to back their respective senatorial bets in the upcoming midterm elections.
“Before ako nag-resign, meron kaming isang meeting kung saan inimbita ako ni President Marcos na sumali, tumulong sa administration para sa mga senatorial candidates,” Duterte, now a former Education chief, said in an ambush interview after the turnover ceremony at the agency’s headquarters.
(Before I resigned, we had a meeting where President Marcos invited me to join and help the administration’s senatorial candidates.)
READ: Sara Duterte turns over DepEd chief post to Sonny Angara
“Sa isang namang pagkikita namin ni former President Duterte, inimbita niya din ako na mangampanya, tumulong sumuporta para sa mga candidates ng PDP,” she added, referring to Partido Demokratiko Pilipino.
(In another instance of my encounter with former President Duterte, he also invited me to campaign and help support candidates of the PDP.)
To this, Sara Duterte said she has to think of her next step in the upcoming midterm elections.
“Kailangan ko kasi muna pag-isipan kung ano ang direction ko sa midterm elections doon sa susunod na taon, kaya hindi pa ako handa na sumasagot sa kanilang dalawa kung ano gagawin for the midterm elections,” she said.
(I need to think about my next directions next year, so I am not yet ready to answer them both about my actions for the midterm elections.)
However, she said she would meet with Senators Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa after Marcos’ State of the Nation Address.
Meanwhile, she also shrugged off former President Duterte’s denial of her previous announcement.
The Vice President previously said that her father and two brothers Baste and Paolo, the incumbent mayor and congressman of Davao City, respectively, will run for senator.
READ: VP Duterte: My father, brothers will run for senator in 2025
“Well, that remains to be seen,” Sara Duterte said in response, noting that the certificate of candidacy is still a few months away.
“At tsaka, [in] my experience, to the last minute, nagbabago ang desisyon ng mga tao. Kaya, hindi natin alam kung ano mangyayari bukas,” she said.
(Also in my experience, at the last minute, the decisions of the people change, so we don’t know what will happen tomorrow.)
