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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider VP Sara explains what changed her mind in endorsing Senate bets

VP Sara explains what changed her mind in endorsing Senate bets

Published Apr 22, 2025 05:04 am

At A Glance

  • Vice President Duterte said that she initially did not plan to endorse any senatorial candidate for the May 2025 midterm elections but the arrest of her father and his personal request changed her mind.<br> 

Former president Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest and detention in The Hague, Netherlands led to Vice President Sara Duterte’s endorsement of his Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) senatorial bets.
 

VPSD_PRRD.jpegVice President Sara Duterte and former president Rodrigo Duterte (Screenshot from Bong Go, Veronica Duterte Facebook pages)

 

She admitted on Tuesday, April 22, in an interview in Danao City that she initially did not plan to endorse any candidate for the May 2025 midterm elections but the arrest of her father and his personal request changed her mind.
 

“Hindi naman maganda ‘yung karanasan ko sa mga pagsama at pag-endorse ng mga candidates noon (I had a bad experience in endorsing candidates before),” she said.
 

While she did not mention names, the Vice President endorsed and ran alongside President Marcos in the 2022 polls. Analysts believed her endorsement was the tipping point for Marcos’ eventual win, securing the Visayas and Mindanao votes.
 

“Ngunit nagbago ‘yung panahon dahil nangyari yung pagkuha sa ating dating pangulo dito sa ating bansa (But the times changed when our former president was taken from our country),” she stated.
 

Her father, who is currently detained in The Hague for crimes against humanity of murder charges in relation to his administration’s bloody drug war campaign, also personally asked for her help.
 

“Pagdating namin doon sa The Hague, nagtanong na naman si [dating] pangulong Duterte kung pwede ba daw akong tumulong sa sampung senators ng partido niya dahil naiwan sila dito sa Pilipinas (There in The Hague, [former] President Duterte asked against if I can help his 10 senators because they were left here in the Philippines),” she recalled.
 

“At sinabi ko sa kanya na, ‘okay, since wala ka naman na doon sa Pilipinas, pwede akong tumulong (I told him, ‘okay, since you’re not there in the Philippines, I can help),” the Vice President added.
 

But asked if the former chief executive also endorsed the candidacies of Senator Imee Marcos and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar amid political ads of her with the two lawmakers circulating on social media, the younger Duterte answered in the negative.
 

“Wala. Hindi kami nagkausap ni [former] president Duterte ng mga kandidato for senators labas sa Duter10, sa sampung senators ng Duterte (No. Me and [former] president Duterte did not speak about any senatorial candidates except for the 10 Duterte candidates),” she said.
 

Her endorsements of Marcos and Villar seemed to be a personal choice as the Vice President argued she has long known both lawmakers, having met Marcos in 2012 while she has constantly exchanged ideas about motherhood with Villar.
 

She said that since PDP-Laban only has 10 senatorial bets, she thought it would be prudent to add two more names to complete her own Magic 12.
 

Currently, she hasn’t been to any political rally, though she has plans to attend some leading up to Election Day.
 

It would depend on PDP-Laban, she said, how they will campaign with both Marcos and Villar in the roster.
 

The presidential sister left her brother’s, President Marcos’, Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas after the former president’s arrest, while Villar remains in the administration ticket and continues to enjoy the President’s endorsement.
 

Meanwhile, the Vice President revealed that her brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, will be in The Hague temporarily until before Election Day as their father’s next-of-kin.
 

Their half-sister, Veronica, is already in the country to continue her studies, while the elder Duterte’s common-law wife, Honeylet Avanceña, will also soon leave and return to the Philippines.
 

Only the former president’s lawyers and next-of-kin are allowed to visit him while in detention.

Related Tags

VP Sara Duterte Matalinong boto 2025 PDP-Laban endorsements Rodrigo Duterte
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