Sara Duterte denies preparing for 2022 presidential run with 2019 sorties

MEYCAUAYAN —President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter Sara has denied that she was going on campaign sorties across the country to prepare for a likely presidential run in 2022.

The mayor of Davao City and leader of the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago had been joining the campaign of the national candidates it endorsed triggering speculation that she was being groomed to succeed her father.

“Napakahirap ng trabaho ng isang President. It will take more than a kantiyaw, or encouragement ng isa o dalawang tao. We don’t think of it that way," Sara said of her nationwide sorties. 

"As I have said, we do not know that will happen today or tomorrow. The best time to decide on that is on 2021, before the filing of candidacy,” she added.

Sara said she was just helping the senatorial candidates whom Duterte wanted to win in the May elections.

“Nakafocus tayo na tulungan ‘yung administration. Hindi ko pa iniisip ngayon," Sara said of the ongoing HNP campaign.

"Nakatutok talaga kami sa mga senator ni President Duterte. Ang eleksyon ngayon, 2019, hindi 2022,” she added.

Told of speculation that she was being prepared for the presidency to shield Duterte from the legal backlash that may arise from his war on drugs, Sara said, "No comment." —NB, GMA News