MALVAR, Batangas--Vice presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte is usually calm and composed, with an aura of toughness that undoubtedly came from her father.
But something at the UniTeam rally here Wednesday night, April 20 at the open lot of Lima Land, Barangay Santiago here managed to make the lady mayor emotional.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary--it was another big rally with a big crowd, a visual that Duterte and her May 9 poll partner, presidental candidate Bongbong Marcos should be used to by now.
"Alam niyo sa totoo lang, kasi galing akong Mindanao, galing akong Davao City, pero damang-dama ko yung pagmamahal ninyo sa amin dito sa Batangas. Naiiyak po ako (You know, to be honest, I came all the way from Davao City in Mindanao, but I can feel your love for us here in Batangas. I'm close to tears)," she said in a rare segue from her usual campaign speech.
However, the 43-year-old cited a good reason not to cry, especially in front of thousands of people armed with smartphones.
"Pero ayokong umiyak kasi...kapag umiyak, magiging meme ninyo ako (But I don't want to cry...if I cry I will become your meme)," the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) chairperson said in jest.
Crying memes are a thing in the age of social media, with the most infamous one being that of basketball great Michael Jordan's.
"Hindi ako makapagsalita, name-mental block ako dito. Salamat! (I can't talk, I'm having a mental block. Thank you!)," Duterte said afterward, fanning herself with her hand.
"Maraming salamat sa pagmamahal ninyo (Thank you so much for your love)," she added as the crowd chanted her name.
Earlier, Duterte had what could be described as a "heart to heart" talk with nurses and frontliners at the Capitol in Batangas City where she revealed her medical background and great frustration during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The elections will take place on May 9, or in just over two weeks.