Sara Duterte defends father over alleged personality problem

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte’s daughter, Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio on Tuesday defended her father over his alleged personality flaws that led to the nullity of his marriage with her mother.

Sara said the marriage of her father and former wife, Elizabeth Zimmerman, does not reflect his record as a public servant.

"Psychological incapacitated in a marriage does not reflect the character of a person outside the marriage," Sara said.

"He's impulsive? He's selfish? Does his track record in governance, as a public servant, show that he is impulsive or selfish? They do not," she insisted.

Sara was reacting to an ABS-CBN report citing an assessment on her father's personality that made his former marriage with ZImmerman difficult.

Zimmerman, married to Rordigo in 1973, asked the Regional Trial Court of Pasig City to nullify her marriage with the mayor in 1998. The court issued a final decision in Zimmerman’s favor in 2001 and ended her 27-year marriage with Rodrigo.

Sara, however, maintained that the reports painting her father as someone unfit for the presidency as something that would come from his rivals.

"This is election. I grew up in politics," Sara said.

"The family is no longer surprised. Every election period, this is one of the issues his rivals use against him. But they've already used so many other issues. Sanay na kami. Sanay na si mayor,” she added.

Sara, who is eyeing to be elected mayor of Davao City, asked the public to check her father’s track record instead.

"The court may have used these as grounds for the annulment of the marriage, but the court did not say that he is unfit to become a leader. The court said my parents are unfit to be together in a marriage, but it did not say that my father is unfit to become our leader," Sara said.

Zimmerman, who is battling an advanced stage of breast cancer, started campaigning for her former partner last April 5. She launched her own campaign "Byaheng Du30" caravan with Sara to support Rodrigo’s presidential bid.