Sara Duterte emotional over return in Davao City

Vice President Sara Duterte became emotional while speaking at a conference in Davao City, saying that she felt “nostalgic” after returning to her hometown and seeing her former colleagues

While giving her speech, Duterte said that whenever she receives an invitation to any event in Davao City, she immediately accepts it because it would be an opportunity for her to go home. 

“Pagkakita ko sa mga kasamahan ko dati sa city hall, nostalgic ako. Naramdaman ko ang pangungulila sa Davao, sa Mindanao. Kaya masaya ako nang matanggap ko ang imbitasyon dahil nabibigyan ako ng pagkakataon na makauwi sa aming bahay, makita ang aking nanay, at makausap nang personal ang aking ina,” she said in Bisaya. 

(When I saw my former colleagues in the city hall, I was nostalgic. I felt homesick for Davao, in Mindanao. So I was happy when I received the invitation because it gives me the opportunity to go home, see my mother, and talk to her in person.) 

“At nostalgic para sa akin na makitang muli ang mga kasamahan ko sa City Hall noon at nasabi ko sa sarili ko at naisip ko kanina kung ano kaya ang mangyayari kung tumakbo na lang akong mayor at hindi ko na tinuloy ang pagtakbo ko bilang Vice President,” she added. 

(And it's nostalgic for me to see my colleagues at the city hall again and I thought, what would have happened if I just ran for mayor and didn't run for vice presidency.) 

She also said that ever since she resigned as secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) in 2024, and when she declared that she intends to run for president, some invitations for her were canceled. 

She also thanked the audience for their support to her and her family, particularly her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands for charges of crimes against humanity over alleged extrajudicial killings during his administration's drug war.

“Alam ninyo, ang kapangyarihan namin hindi galing sa aming apelyido, hindi galing sa pamilya, hindi galing sa posisyon dito sa Davao kundi galing sa inyong lahat na kababayan kong Pilipino,” Sara said. 

(You know, our power does not come from our last name, not from our family, not from our position here in Davao, but from all of you, my fellow Filipinos.) 

“Kayo ang nag-udyok, kayo ang nagbigay sa amin ng posisyon. Kayo ang nagbigay sa amin ng kapangyarihan na pinanghahawakan namin ngayon kaya malaki ang aming pasalamat at tinatanaw naming isang malaking utang na loob ito sa inyong lahat.”

(You are the ones who pushed us, who gave us the position. You are the ones who gave us the power that we hold today, so we are very grateful and we see this as a great debt of gratitude to all of you.) 

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday began the confirmation of charges hearing for Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity case.—AOL, GMA Integrated News