Imee different from Bongbong —Sara Duterte

Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday emphasized that Senator Imee Marcos is distinct from her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., amid questions about her endorsement of the senator's reelection bid despite her falling out with the President.

Asked during an ambush interview in Tondo, Manila, if she was concerned about being misled by another Marcos this election season, Duterte drew a clear distinction between the two siblings.

“Magkaiba si Senator Imee Marcos at si BBM,” Duterte said. “Tulad na lang rin ng example ko—na hindi parehong tao at magkaiba din kami ni [dating] Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at iba din si Inday Sara.”

(Senator Imee is different from BBM. Just like how former President Rodrigo Duterte is different from me.)

Duterte noted that she has known Imee since 2012 and is confident in the senator’s work ethic and approach to governance.

“Hindi niya pinapabayaan ang problema niya. Ang problema ng bayan, hindi niya pinapabayaan ang mga pangako niya. Nagbibigay siya ng solusyon at nag-iisip siya,” the Vice President said.

(She doesn't neglect her responsibilities or the nation's problems. She keeps her promises, provides solutions, and thinks things through.)

Duterte's endorsement of Imee Marcos came just weeks after she withdrew from President Marcos' senatorial slate.

Senator Marcos had earlier distanced herself from the administration, citing differences in values and principles—particularly in the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Sara’s father.

The elder Duterte is currently detained at Scheveningen Prison in The Hague, Netherlands, facing charges of crimes against humanity over the extrajudicial killings linked to his administration’s war on drugs. — DVM, GMA Integrated News

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