VP Sara Duterte thanks supporters; holds Visita Iglesia in Samar
Vice President Sara Duterte.
Inquirer Photo/ GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
TACLOBAN CITY – Vice President Sara Duterte thanked those who continued to pray for her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, as she visited Samar province over the weekend for a two-day “Visita Iglesia” pilgrimage.
According to Sara, she was able to talk with local residents who told her they were praying for the return of her father, who is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands, over charges of crimes against humanity filed before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“Many people told me they are praying for president Duterte’s return. They are saddened by what happened to him,” she told reporters.
Asked about her personal prayers during the church visits, Duterte said she prayed for the country and for her father.
But she declined to comment on developments regarding her father’s case, saying that any updates about his legal defense or possible return to the Philippines should come only from his lawyers.
“I cannot talk about the chances of [former president Duterte] returning to the Philippines because I’m not privy to what the lawyers are doing. There is lawyer-client confidentiality,” she said.
“It was agreed that only his lawyers will speak on any developments in the case,” she added.
It was not immediately clear if Sara met with any local officials during her visit to the province.
The vice president said she chose Samar for this year’s Visita Iglesia because there was an early flight to Calbayog City while en route to Manila from Davao City on Saturday.
“Yesterday, this was the first flight from Davao to Manila. We arrived in Calbayog around 7 a.m., so we were able to start early and thank many of our fellow Filipinos,” she said.
Her visit to Samar was not announced.
She surprised locals who saw her attending the masses.
Many took the chance to have a selfie with her.
Sara said this was her first time to hold her Visita Iglesia in Samar, part of Eastern Visayas, which is generally considered a bailiwick of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The vice president and Marcos, once political allies, have since had a public falling out.
READ: Undiluted devotion: Exploring Manila’s centuries-old tradition of Visita Iglesia
Sara was impeached by the House of Representatives, dominated by allies of the President.
Among the seven churches Sara visited were the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral and the Most Holy Trinity Parish Church, both in Calbayog City; St. Michael Parish Church in Gandara; St. Isidore the Farmer Parish Church in San Jorge; St. Francis of Assisi Parish Church in Tarangnan; and St. Bartholomew Church and Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church, both in Catbalogan City.
