Sara on Duterte support for Bongbong: ‘Yan ang gusto naming lahat na makita’

Vice presidential aspirant and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Thursday said they are hoping to have the support of her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, for her tandem with presidential aspirant and former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

But Sara said they will also respect her father’s decision, citing that he is the President after all.

“’Yan ang gusto naming lahat na makita yung suporta ni Pangulong Duterte para sa UniTeam. But of course, he is the President so he is allowed to do and to say kung ano yung gusto niya and we will respect his decision,” the Davao City mayor responded to a question by GMA News' Sandra Aguinaldo. 

(That is what we all want to see President Duterte’s support for UniTeam. But of course he is the President so he is allowed to do and to say what he wants and we will respect his decision.)

Q: Will you be seeking the President’s support for BBM? Mayor Sara: Yan ang gusto naming lahat na makita - yung suporta ni (PRRD) para sa Uniteam. But of course he is the president so he is allowed to do and to say kung ano yung gusto nya and we will respect his decision. pic.twitter.com/bEbBNHl51D

— sandra aguinaldo (@sandraguinaldo) February 10, 2022

She, however, noted that she has not spoken with her father but they are expected to meet in March and April to celebrate birthdays of their family members.

“Hindi pa kami nagkausap ni President Duterte but in time I expect that we will see each other but if not after the campaign baka during the campaign dahil may mga birthdays sa family during March and April so baka magkita kami sa mga events na iyon,” she added.

(We haven't talked to President Duterte yet but in time I expect that we will see each other but if not after the campaign maybe during the campaign because there are birthdays in the family during March and April so maybe we will meet at those events.)

Duterte earlier said he would not support any presidential candidate in Eleksyon 2022 unless he would see what he called “a compelling reason” to do so in the coming months.

He bared that almost all of those running for president asked him for support “in one way or the other.”

In November, however, Duterte called Marcos “a weak leader” as he ruled out a coalition then with his daughter Sara's Lakas-CMD.

Earlier, lawyer Vic Rodriguez, Marcos’ spokesperson, said there is no rift nor differences between the President and Marcos.

"Walang pinag-awayan, walang diperensya si PRRD at si presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos. Mayroon lang talagang proseso. Kami ay nabibilang sa Partido Federal ng Pilipinas. Si Pangulo naman ay napapabilang sa PDDS at nandiyan pa rin naman ang kanyang core group sa PDP-Laban," Rodriguez said in an interview on ANC.

(There's no quarrel nor differences between President Rodrigo Duterte and presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos. There's just a process. We are part of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas while the President is part of PDDS (Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan) and there's his core group, the PDP-Laban.)

Rodriguez issued his remark when asked if Marcos’ camp was still “courting” the President for his endorsement in the Eleksyon 2022 presidential race. — RSJ, GMA News