Will she resign? VP Sara says she didn't say that

Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday said she did not say she was resigning as the country’s second top official after she floated her plans for the next election.

“Wala akong sinabing ganyan doon sa aking speech,”  Duterte responded when asked in an ambush interview if she will resign as Vice President and Education Secretary in order to run.

(I didn’t say that in my speech.)

During an event in Davao City on Monday, Duterte declared her intention to run again for office, but did not specify what position she is vying for or when exactly she will exactly run.

"I heard my brothers, Mayor Baste and Congressman Pulong, say that they will not run in the next election. So I am here today to campaign with you because I will run in the next election," she said in the Visayan language. She was referring to Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte and Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte.

However, Duterte stressed that her speech was taken in a “piecemeal” manner, thus giving the public its own interpretation of what she meant to have said.

“Ang sinabi ko sa pagtakbo is that nandoon lahat nakalatag sa speech ko sa Barangay Bago Gallera sa Davao City,” Duterte said.

(Everything I said about running in the elections is in my speech in Barangay Bago Gallera in Davao City.)

“I think ‘yung confusion is piecemeal ang appreciation ng mga tao doon sa sinabi ko. Ibig sabihin, tinatanggal nila ang isang linya para sabihin kung ano ang gusto nila na interpretation,” she added.

(There was a confusion because the public’s appreciation of what I said was piecemeal. This means that they took out a line to say what they want to say.)

“Ang paniwala ko, dahil line per line siya iniinterpret ng mga tao na hindi ‘yung buong speech, kaya nagkakaroon ng mga tanong.”

(The way I see it, people were interpreting my speech line by line, and not as a whole, hence the questions.)

During the ambush interview, Duterte was repeatedly asked to clarify what she really meant in her speech, but her answer remained vague. 

“Ayaw ko na kasi siyang pahabain. Ayaw ko na siyang pahabain pero pag tinranslate naman ‘yun sa tagalog o sa ibang language, ‘yun pa rin ‘yung message,” she told reporters. 

(I don’t want to prolong the issue but if you translate my speech in tagalog or in another language, the message remains the same.) 

What Duterte made clear, however, was that she has not yet discussed her election plans with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

The Vice President said this in reaction to Marcos’ statement that she is “testing the waters” when it comes to her political plans.—RF, GMA Integrated News