The truth comes out soon

It’s more than less-likely now Davao City Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio will run in the coming May 9, 2022 presidential elections. In fact, she declared – as of last Friday – she has opened her mind and is now seriously considering it. With her own Hugpong Ng Pagbabago and the ruling administration party PDP-Laban behind her, Mayor Sara’s formidable candidacy in next year’s presidential elections only needs formal proclamation to officially seal it.

Now we know why her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, declared he’s “sold” to the idea of possibly running as vice president (VP) while still in office at Malacañang until noon of June 30, 2022. At the PDP-Laban meeting held last Tuesday, President Duterte reiterated his interest to the endorsement of his partymates for his VP run.

Let’s just call her Mayor Sara, for brevity’s sake. Mayor Sara publicly echoed her latest sentiments on her much touted presidential run during her visit at the Cebu Provincial Capitol. She finally gave a definitive “Yes” reply asked in an interview with Cebu media if she is open to the idea of seeking the presidency.

Again, Mayor Sara hastily added nothing is final yet as of that interview last Friday.

After her two-hour closed-door meeting with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu, Mayor Sara vowed to return to the vote-rich province to specifically sense the sentiments of the Cebuanos on her possible presidential run. “There were no discussions about the 2022 polls. But I’ll be back soon to talk to Cebuanos and ask them what they really wanted,” Mayor Sara clarified.

In her next visit to Cebu, Mayor Sara promised to bring along her own Hugpong party to consult their supporters in the province. Speaking fluently in the Cebuano dialect, she thanked her supporters for their trust and confidence upon seeing the many giant billboards and tarpaulins emblazoned with “Run Sara Run” sprouting around the province. She has apparently been inspired by the same sights plastered much earlier around Metro Manila and other urban centers in the Philippines.

Mayor Sara first got elected vice mayor in 2007. She became the first female Mayor and the youngest to have been elected to the position in the political history of Davao City. This was after she switched roles with her father from 2010 to 2013 as mayor and vice-mayor, respectively. She won again for the mayoralty post in 2016 and in 2019 elections for second term at City Hall while youngest brother Sebastian is her vice mayor.

Mayor Sara just turned 43 years old last May. Married to fellow lawyer Maneses Carpio, they have three young children. Aside being a Reserve Colonel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, she has been the official escort of her father in formal state functions. She is the “stand-in First Lady” for her cancer-stricken mother Elizabeth Zimmerman.

Initially, Mayor Sara turned “dedma” (street language that means to ignore) on talks about the presidency and get elected to succeed her father in office at Malacañang. In many public speaking he did, President Duterte repeatedly claimed about dissuading his daughter and ignore such calls as he does not want her to experience what he is going through.

Only last February, Mayor Sara categorically turned down calls for her to run for the presidency even after she topped the OCTA Research Group’s mock polls survey. In a media interview a few days later, Mayor Sara explained she understands where her supporters are coming from. Like her supporters, she noted, many Filipino voters are anxious about where the Philippines is going as a nation amid the continuing public health crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic 2019 (COVID-19).

The OCTA results showed Mayor Sara topped with 22 percent of the 1,200 respondents who picked her as most preferred among 16 candidates in next year’s presidential race. Dubbed as “Tugon Ng Masa” survey, OCTA conducted it from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1, Mayor Sara obtained the highest support in Mindanao at 48 percent.

She had 20 percent support base in the Visayas; Metro Manila at 17 percent; and the rest of Luzon at 11 percent.

She had the highest support among the poorest respondents at 24 percent, followed by those in Class D at 22 percent and Class ABC at 16 percent.

While she shrugged the mock polls for her potential victory in presidential race, Mayor Sara hinted she might consider it in future elections. At that time, she even warned the public against people allegedly soliciting funds for her campaign in next year’s polls.

Mayor Sara obviously changed tunes on her 2022 plans after her regional party Hugpong already firmed up its coalition talks with five major national political parties the past few weeks. Aside from PDP-Laban, Hugpong will formally coalesce soon with the Nacionalista Party (NP); Lakas-CMD; National Union Party (NUP); People’s Reform Party (PRP); and the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

The NP is headed by former Senate president Manny Villar Jr. The Lakas-CMD is currently headed by House Majority leader Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez as party president. The NUP is led by known political strategist ex-Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno. The PRP was founded by the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. The PMP is headed by former president Joseph Estrada.

But long before Mayor Sara apparently made up her mind, it was ex-president Estrada who has been single-handedly rooting for her as the most qualified to become the next President of the country. Mr. Estrada noted that Mayor Sara’s over 16 years of experience as local government chief executive gave her the best training ground for higher office. He believes not only on the competence but also strong guts of Mayor Sara to stand up to any wrongdoing even if it means locking horns with men. He recalled in particular when Mayor Sara punched a court sheriff for enforcing a demolition order without the imprimatur of Davao City Hall.

The filing of certificates of candidacy is on Oct. 1-8 yet this year. Only then we will know the truth who has been merely posturing or not.