Inday Sara can be next president—Panelo

The viral photo of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, with brothers Paolo and Sebastian, being photobombed by their father, President Rodrigo Duterte. SCREENGRAB / FILE PHOTO

Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has what it takes to be the country’s next president as she has the traits of her father President Rodrigo Duterte, said Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Wednesday.

“Pwede siyang maging presidente, kung ako ang tatanungin mo. Pareho ng ugali ng tatay niya e. Mas matindi pa nga e,” Panelo said in a press conference that was broadcast online.

(She can be a president, if you are going to ask me. She is very much like her father; even stricter.)

Panelo said Carpio, or Inday Sara as she is commonly called in Davao City, is a lawyer and very much stricter than her father.

In his speech in Davao City on Friday, Duterte said he cannot find a better successor to the presidency than her daughter, whom he described as a strong woman and “not a bigot.”

The President also narrated how Carpio scrapped P49-billion reclamation project of the Mega Harbour Port Development Inc., which he had signed a year before, because of its environmental implications.

READ: Sara Duterte junks P40-B deal approved by dad

Panelo said Carpio never wanted to be a politician. She was only compelled to run for mayor because Duterte would not run for president if Davao would not be under her care.

“Ayaw na ayaw niya na maging pulitiko. Pinilit lang talaga siya kasi hindi tatakbo si Presidente,” the chief presidential legal counsel said.

(She never wanted to be a politician. She was only forced to because the President would not run then.) /jpv