UniTeam vice presidential bet Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio wishes her father “good health and happiness” for his birthday a week in advance, she told reporters during an ambush interview.
"Mr. President, happy birthday. I wish you good health and happiness," the younger Duterte told reporters during a Laguna campaign sortie on Thursday, March 24.
Her father, President Duterte, will celebrate his 77th birthday on March 28.
There have been rumors that the younger Duterte and her father do not speak often due to conflict in schedules, although the President did offer his daughter advice on her political future during her appearance at a Wowowin episode in Cebu last March 18.
Upon further inquiry by reporters, Mayor Duterte bared that she and her father had not spoken about the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) Cusi wing’s endorsement of UniTeam presidential bet Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
"Hindi pa po kami nagkakausap ni Pangulong Duterte (President Duterte and I have not spoken)," she said.
The Cusi wing of PDP-Laban endorsed Marcos Jr. last March 22 and even previously adopted Mayor Duterte, a member of the Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), as their vice presidential candidate.
Meanwhile, President Duterte himself has remained mum on any personal endorsements.