Hirit ni PDU30 sa #UH20!

The feisty Davaoeño in Malacañan Palace shares his funny side with Unang Hirit on the morning show’s second day of its 20th anniversary special.

After taking on serious political topics  during the first part of his UH interview, President Rodrigo Duterte gamely answers  light-hearted questions from hosts Arnold Clavio and Susan Enriquez.

Asked who his favorite child is, the President avoids giving an answer, opting instead to say how many children he has--only to wrongly say that he only has three kids! He quickly corrects his error--he has four children, after all--and shares a laugh with Arnold and Susan over the candid mistake.

A motorcycle enthusiast, Pres. Duterte says only death will make him quit riding. One can recall that last October, the President got injured while riding a motorcycle inside Malacañan grounds.

Discussing the Southeast Asian Games, Arnold and Susan ask what sport he would play if he were an athlete. His macho choice—shooting.

Unang Hirit’s interview with Pres. Duterte is another first in the history of morning television. The discussion allowed the head of state to discuss the country’s hottest topics, such as the problems encountered by the ongoing SEA Games. Pres. Duterte admits that there were lapses when it came to the  preparations, which, according to him, was supposed to have started years ago.

“Ang takot ko, magkalat siya (My fear is that she will make a mess of everything).” This is what Pres. Duterte tells Unang Hirit when asked about his reaction on the question posed by Vice President Leni Robredo question to him—"Ano po ba ang kinatatakutan ninyo (What exactly are you afraid of)?"—after she was axed from her Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) co-chair post.

Unang Hirit also asked the president about the controversial issue on China’s alleged interference with the Philippines’ power supply. Pres. Duterte vehemently denies this and says he believes Chinese President Xi Jin Ping would do no such thing.

And then the President told Unang Hirit that he asked his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte not to run for president in 2022. As a father, he says he wants to spare Sara from being a public spectacle, as she will most likely be scrutinized and even called corrupt despite all the hard work she has done.

Finally, Pres. Duterte fondly praised Unang Hirit’s two decades of public service. According to him, UH is one of the veteran programs of Philippine television.

“I’d like to congratulate you and wish you more power sa inyong two decades of service to the people. Serbisyo talaga yan – and of course you have to credit GMA 7, for being just there for the program kasi you allow that program to be a permanent fixture kasi maraming inaabangan – Unang Hirit nga eh! (I’d like to congratulate you and wish you more power on your two decades of service to the people. That’s public service. And of course, you have to credit GMA 7 for allowing the program to be a permanent fixture which viewers can look forward to for many surprises every day  – that’s what Unang Hirit is all about!),” the President added.