Bigwigs in the House of Representatives greeted Vice President-elect Sara Duterte on the occasion of her 44th birthday on Tuesday, May 31.
"I join the Filipino nation in extending our warmest greetings to Vice President-elect Sara Duterte as she celebrates her birthday today," House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president, said in a statement.
"We thank the Lord for giving her a full life, and we pray that He will continue to bless our incoming Vice President with good health and strength of will as she faces the next big challenge of her life," he added, referring to his party-mate.
Duterte, the incumbent Davao City mayor, sits as chairperson of the Lakas-CMD.
Romualdez further described Duterte as "a true-blue public servant whose primary goal is to address the needs of her constituents--something that grew even stronger with the onset of the pandemic over two years ago".
"She has the right mix of compassion, courage, and leadership that the people need for guidance and inspiration during tough times like this pandemic. We are all lucky to have her," he said of the presidential daughter.
Romualdez, the top contender for the speakership in the upcoming 19th Congress, worked closely with Duterte during the election season, serving as one of her two campaign managers. She received over 32 million votes on route to a majority vote win during the May 9 polls.
For his part, incumbent House Speaker and Marinduque lone district Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, who is a close friend of the Vice President-elect, described Duterte as a "great role model".
"You are a great role model and inspiration to all Filipinos, particularly to the country’s new generation of leaders. It is truly an honor and privilege to be your friend and ally," said Velasco, a stalwart of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) party.
"Good luck on your new role as incoming Vice President and Education Secretary, and I wish you the very best that life has to offer," he further said.
Earlier this month, Duterte accepted her nomination by President-elect Bongbong Marcos to become the Department of Education (DepEd) secretary.