Inday for President? Sara Duterte says ‘planning is futile’

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, chair of Hugpong ng Pagbabago, endorses the party’s senatorial candidates during their campaign rally in Baguio City on Friday. PHOTO BY VALERIE DAMIAN

MANILA, Philippines—Though she claimed that she is not eyeing the presidency, Davao City mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio conceded that “planning is futile” as her life now as a politician is far from what she had envisioned.

The presidential daughter made the remark Sunday after Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo admitted that he would not be surprised if Duterte-Carpio follows the footsteps of her father, President Rodrigo Duterte.

READ: Panelo says he won’t be surprised if Sara Duterte becomes President

“I do not plan on running for President because everything in my life is far from what I have envisioned,” Duterte-Carpio told INQUIRER.net in a text message.

“I studied to be a doctor and then I became a lawyer. I wanted to be a housewife but I am now a politician. I have learned that my life is not mine, it is always God’s will, in God’s time, and planning is futile,” she added.

This was not the first time Duterte-Carpio’s name was dragged into the 2022 presidential race.

However, the younger Duterte, despite her strong survey numbers and public clamor, has repeatedly said she won’t not run for a national post.

“I wish they would not talk about me like that because individuals who have ambitions to become President will put me on top of their hate list,” the Davao mayor said.

For now, Duterte-Carpio said she will concentrate rather on campaigning for the candidates of her Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) party to give her father “allies in the Senate so that the remaining three years of his term will be less bumpy.”

She also insisted that no government resources was used in HNP’s campaign rallies, noting that their expenses are “paid for by the Governors of Davao Region and our rallies are fully funded by our local partners/allies/friends.”

Duterte-Carpio is accompanying HNP’s 13-man senatorial candidates in their sorties. The party is set to campaign in Ilocos Norte and Isabela on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. /je

READ: Sara Duterte’s HNP targets to achieve 110 campaign sorties

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