DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 27 November) — Mayor Sara Duterte urged her supporters to vote for the Marcos-Duterte tandem for President and Vice President on May 9, 2022 , explaining that she can best perform her role as Vice President if Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. is President.
The mayor told the League of Municipalities of the Philippines 2021 Regional Planning in Sugbo, Cebu on Friday night that she accepted the invitation of Marcos to be his running mate because of his extensive experience in local and national politics, serving as former second district representative of Ilocos Norte and governor of the province before he became senator.
The mayor withdrew her candidacy for reelection as Davao City mayor and ran for Vice President, explaining she wanted to meet halfway her supporters who expressed dismay when she filed her COCO for mayor instead of run for President.
She said she opted instead to stand behind another leader, referring to Marcos, son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Former Senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., and Mayor Sara Duterte in Tagum City on November 21, 2021. Photo from Mayor Inday Sara Duterte official Facebook page
“Tagai ko og presidente nga ka tandem nako kay ang gusto sa tao nga trabaho nga makita sa akoa kay trabaho mabuhat ko lang na kung akong pangulo si Bongbong Marcos (Give me a President who is my tandem because the kind of work that people are expecting from me can only be accomplished if my President is Bongbong Marcos),” she said.
She said that she needs a President who can support her, direct the country, and make a decisive decision.
“Kinahanglan ko og Presidente nga moingon ‘ok sige gawin nyo yan,’ ‘ito ang gawin ninyo.’ Maglisod ko kung ang pangulo nako moingon syag, ‘Inday Sara kadyot lang tulugan sa ni nato kay wala ko kahibalo kung unsa akong buhaton,’ (We need a President who can say, ‘okay, you do that,’ this is what will you do.
’ I will be having a hard time if my President will say, ‘Inday Sara, wait a minute, let’s sleep on it for now because I don’t what I will do),” she said.
Duterte is running as a vice presidential candidate of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), which adopted Marcos Jr.
as its presidential candidate. Lakas-CMD formalized its alliance with regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), Marcos’s Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) last Thursday at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).
Duterte also thanked the supporters of her father, President Rodrigo R. Duterte, for helping him win in 2016, but the vice-presidential aspirant asked them to support the tandem of Marcos-Sara Duterte for 2022.
“Ako magpasalamat pud ko sa umaabot nga suporta para sa akong kandidatura, og sa kandidatura sa akong running mate nga si Bongbong Marcos (I am thankful for your support to my candidacy and the candidacy of my running mate, Bongbong Marcos),” she said.
President Duterte, who called Marcos as a “weak leader,” is supporting the candidacy of his long-time aide Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go for President under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan. (Antonio L. Colinva IV / MindaNews)
