‘Agila ng Davao’ Sara Duterte inaugurated as VP


Vice President-elect Sara Duterte was inaugurated on Sunday, June 19, as the country’s 15th vice president after getting the largest mandate ever bestowed by Filipinos with more than 32 million votes.

Vice President-elect Sara Duterte delivers her inaugural address at San Pedro Square in Davao City on Sunday, June 19. (RTVM Screenshot)

Running mate President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife Liza and son Sandro, her father incumbent President Duterte, and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo were among the political bigwigs who attended her inauguration witnessed by a huge crowd at the San Pedro Square.

Donning a green Silverio Anglacer terno, the 43-year-old Duterte was also joined by her mother Elizabeth Zimmerman, her husband Mans Carpio, and her children. Her mother later held the bible during her oath-taking.

The event kicked off with a Thanksgiving Mass by Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles at the San Pedro Cathedral beside the San Pedro Square where her oath-taking took place.

“She told me that she really didn’t want to be in this position. But at the same time, in her heart, she told me she deeply felt she is called to serve our people,” the archbishop said in his homily.

Despite admitting that the campaign was tough on her physically and mentally, the Vice President-elect told the archbishop that she will make time to go home to her husband and children.

“To serve wholeheartedly the whole county at the same time to be truly a mother and wife to your family, this is a rare role which is not for everyone,” Valles said.

The prelate asked that Duterte be truly the “Agila ng Davao” in seeing the needs of the people.

“May you have eagle’s eyes to see the true needs of the young people as you’ll be serving in particular as Secretary of Department of Education,” he prayed, referring to Duterte’s cabinet position, which receives the biggest chunk of the nation’s budget.

The mass was also attended by Arroyo, who was instrumental in Duterte’s decision to run as Marcos’ tandem for the 2022 polls.

Vice President-elect Sara Duterte takes her oath of office before Supreme Court Justice Ramon Paul Hernando. (RTVM Screenshot)

The Vice President-elect consistently topped presidential preference surveys heading into the filing of the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) in the first week of October.

She initially filed for reelection as Davao City mayor but withdrew to join Marcos.

Her younger brother, Baste, run and won in the mayoralty race of their hometown as Duterte went on to win an unprecedented number of votes during the May 2022 elections.

In doing so, she toppled veteran politicians Senator Francis Pangilinan and Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.

Duterte’s 32 million votes, or 61.4 percent of voters, was the largest mandate given by Filipinos in Philippine history. It was bigger than Marcos’ 31.6 million votes, which was already unprecedented for receiving the majority of votes.

But garnering more votes than the presidential candidate was not peculiar as former President Joseph Estrada had more votes than former President Fidel Ramos in 1992, Arroyo had more than Estrada in 1998, and, former Vice President Noli de Castro got more votes than Arroyo in 2004.

At the start of the inaugural ceremony, the University of Mindanao Chorale rendered the national anthem and the city’s hymn, “Tayo’y Dabawenyo”, which was composed by Pedro Sanvicente and with musical arrangement by Guillermo Anajao.

This was followed by an ecumenical prayer delivered by Fr. Emmanuel Gonzaga, a Catholic, Aleem Mohammed Pasigan, a Muslim, and Datu Rodolfo Mande, a Matigsalug.

Before Duterte took her oath and delivered her speech, Filipino rapper Andrew E., who was a consistent figure during the campaign, and Njel de Mesa performed a musical number.

Duterte took her oath of office before Supreme Court justice Ramon Paul Hernando, her law professor at San Sebastian College and whose wife is a friend of the incoming vice president.

She took her oath as her father incumbent President Duterte was just behind her, another first for the country.

Duterte’s election as vice president signaled the third time a woman will become the country’s second-highest official after Arroyo and outgoing Vice President Leni Robredo.

She is the first vice president to be elected who is the daughter of a sitting President.

Her victory with Marcos is the third tandem to hold the two highest positions in the country in post-EDSA 1 revolt, after former President Corazon Aquino and former Vice President Doy Laurel in 1986 and Arroyo and De Castro in 2004.

Throngs of people flocked outside the cathedral and #OurVPSaraDuterte became a trending topic on Twitter with more than 7,500 tweets.

Despite being inaugurated today, Duterte will begin her term as vice president at noon of June 30 after Robredo steps down from office.

She plans to hold temporary office at the Quezon City Reception House, which was also Robredo’s home for six years.