Duterte: Sara not interested to become president
In this Sept. 18, 2017 photo, President Rodrigo Duterte spares time for his grandson to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, Marko Digong on the sidelines of the 6th Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Accredited National Convention of Public Attorneys opening ceremony at the Tent City in Manila Hotel, Manila. PPD/Richard Madelo
MANILA, Philippines — Presidential Daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has no ambition to succeed her father, President Rodrigo Duterte himself said on Tuesday.
Duterte made the remarks in response to a question by a reporter who pointed out that Sarah was being addressed as “the next president” during her public appearances “lately.”
“Maniwala ka pala niyan? Istorya ‘yan… Wala ‘yan. No. Inday is not interested,” Duterte told a press conference in Davao City upon his arrival from Tokyo.
Duterte claimed Sara shuns politics, but had no choice but to take his place to run the city. Duterte first filed for candidacy for another term as Davao mayor in 2015 before the 2016 elections, but made a seemingly last-minute decision to run for president.
Sara instead ran for Davao mayor. Duterte, meanwhile said Sara, who won the mayoral post on a landslide, wanted to quit politics over the past year.
“You know, I’m telling you the truth. She did not really want to be Mayor. And I have a letter of her resignation,” Duterte said.
In September, the firebrand leader said no better candidate could succeed him but his daughter. However, he later dismissed the controversial remark as another one of his jokes.
READ: Duterte admits idea to have Sara succeed him a 'joke'
Last month, Duterte's children announced their political plans for 2019, with Sara targeting a seat at the House of Representatives while Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte announced that he is retiring from politics in 2019.
Paolo said that he will go back to farming and focus more on his family as he prepared for retirement. He said that his children were affected by the allegations thrown against him by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who accused him of being involved in the smuggling of a P6.4-billion shabu shipment from China.
The vice mayor also said there would still be a Carpio-Duterte tandem in the city as the mayor's husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, might run for office.
READ: Sara Duterte to seek House seat, Paolo to retire in 2019
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