Duterte: If elected, daughter Sara will be first lady

MANILA, Philippines - Tough-talking presidential bet, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte on Tuesday said he would pick his daughter, former Davao City Mayor Sara “Inday” Duterte over his ex-wife and current partner, to be his First Lady.

In an interview with Mike Enriquez over dzBB’s “Ikaw Na Ba?” Duterte said picking her daughter to be his First Lady would make things less complicated.

“Para walang gulo, bago na lang. Bagong style. Para walang gulo, si Inday na lang. Si Inday Sara,” Duterte said.

Duterte was once married to Elizabeth Zimmerman, a flight attendant who hails from Davao City and is of German-American descent. She is the mother of Sara, Paolo and Sebastian.

In 1998, Zimmerman filed a petition with the Regional Trial Court in Pasig to nullify her marriage. Duterte never appeared in court and did not contest Zimmerman’s petition. Two years later, the court decided in her favor, annulling the 27-year marriage.

Duterte is currently living with his partner Honeylet, a nurse, with whom he has one daughter named Veronica.

Duterte said that if Elizabeth and Honeylet would agree, they could both live at the Malacañang Palace.

“May asawa ako. Hiwalay ako sa first. Mabait itong second wife ko. Kung papayag sila, tag-isang kwarto na lang sila dyan (Malacañang). Nakakaawa naman yung first wife ko. Tig-isang kwarto sila sa Malacañang. Malaki-laking lugar naman yan. Ipatirahin ko na lang dyan. Nakakaawa naman,” he said.

Meanwhile, Duterte again said that he would not be participating in the debate to be sponsored by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for presidential bets. The first of the debates will be held at the Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City) on February 21

Duterte said that he would only join the Comelec-sponsored debates if the poll body will resolve his pending disqualification cases.

“Bakit ako pupunta dun? Tanungin ko nga ang Comelec? Am I or am I not a candidate? Bakit ba ako pasalitain doon e ang kaso ko andiyan? Ang certificate of candidacy ko, nakadikit pa dyan sa table nyo.  I want to see the resolution. Isang tao lang ang nagsasabi nyan eh that is a collegial body. What happens kung pasalitain mo ako doon tapos kinabukasan may balita na DQ (disqualified) ako. Magmumukhang gago ako,” he said.

“You place me in the right status. I am not a candidate. If I am not qualified, e di sorry,” he added.

The Comelec’s First Division has not yet decided on the four disqualification cases filed against Duterte.

The petitioners have asked the Comelec to cancel Duterte’s certificate of candidacy (COC) because his substitution for Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) standard-bearer Martin Diño was not valid.  

The petitioners claim that with Diño’s defective COC, Duterte could not be considered a legitimate substitute candidate.