VP Sara Duterte: Christmas is a time for forgiveness, love
Vice President Sara Duterte during her press conference at the Office of the Vice President, Robinsons Cybergate Plaza, Mandaluyong City, on October 17, 2024. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte said Christmas is a time for forgiveness, generosity, and love, asking Filipinos to promote camaraderie this season.
Duterte stressed in her Christmas message this year that more than the material gifts, the season calls on the people to give understanding and respect and to love one another.
“Sa ating pagsariwa sa diwa ng Pasko, tayong lahat ay tinatawag upang maging mapagpatawad, bukas-palad, at mapagmahal sa ating kapwa,” she said.
(As we rekindle the spirit of Christmas, we are all called to be forgiving, generous, and loving to our neighbors.)
According to the vice president, the birth of Jesus symbolizes compassion that stems from “God’s unparalleled love for everyone.”
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Article continues after this advertisement“Gamitin natin ang kaniyang halimbawa bilang inspirasyon sa ating pakikipag-kapwa, lalo’t higit sa ating pamilya at mga minamahal sa buhay,” she said.
(Let’s use his example as inspiration in our interactions with each other, especially with our family and loved ones.)
“Higit sa mga materyal na bagay na ating matatanggap ngayong Pasko, tayo ay inaanyayahang magbigay ng pag-unawa, respeto, at pagmamahal sa bawat isa, lalo na sa mga mahihirap at may karamdaman,” Duterte also said, adding that Filipinos should practice kindness not only during December but throughout the year.
(More than the material things we will receive this Christmas, we are invited to give understanding, respect, and love to one another, especially to the poor and sick.)
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Vice President Duterte’s message comes amid a widening rift with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., following heavy political squabbles between her and members of the administration.
The situation got worse when Duterte, during a live press conference in November, admitted to hiring someone to kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez if she was killed.
Marcos and Duterte were running mates in the 2022 elections under the UniTeam slate.
