Palace: It would’ve been better if Sara Duterte stayed as Davao City mayor

Malacañang on Friday expressed belief that the Philippines would have been in a better situation had Vice President Sara Duterte not sought a higher position and remained serving in Davao City. 

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said this after Duterte became emotional while speaking at a conference in Davao City on Wednesday, wondering what would have happened if she just ran again for mayor in 2022 and not for vice presidency.

“Sumasang-ayon tayo sa kaniyang tinuran. Mas maganda po nga sana kung nanatili na lamang siyang mayor sa Davao City at nahalal natin ang isang bise presidente na tutulong sana sa ating Pangulo—isang bise presidente na magta-trabaho, mag-aaksiyon at hindi bakasyon, at hindi puro paninira ang gagawin sa ating Pangulo,” Castro said in a press briefing. 

(We agree with her sentiment. It would have been better if she had remained as mayor of Davao City and we instead elected a vice president who would have helped our President—a vice president who would work, would take action and not take a vacation, and would not only seek to destroy the image of our President.) 

“Mas umunlad sana or mas uunlad pa, maliban sa ginagawa ng Pangulo ngayon, at kapag siya’y may katuwang para sa pag-unlad ng bansa, mas naging mainam sana. Pero sabi nga natin, nasa huli ang pagsisisi,” she added. 

(The country would have progressed or progressed even more, aside from what the President is doing now, if only he had a partner to help develop the country. But as we say, regret comes later on.) 

Castro, however, clarified that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has no regrets that Duterte became his running mate during the 2022 national elections.

“Wala po tayong sinabing nagsisi. Ang sinabi lamang po natin ay malamang tama po ‘yung tinuran ni VP Sara na dapat hindi na siya tumakbo na Bise Presidente,” she said. 

(We didn't say that the President has regrets. All we said was that VP Sara was probably correct in saying that she shouldn't have run for Vice President.) 

“Ang sabi po natin, sana nga, para iyong bise presidente na nahalal ay makakatulong sa Pangulo. Pero wala po tayong sinabi na nagsisisi ang Pangulo na kasama at nahalal ang Bise Presidente.” 

(What I said is we hoped that the vice president who was elected would help the President. But we did not say anything that the President regrets that the VP Sara was elected.) 

On Wednesday, Duterte said that she felt “nostalgic” after returning to her hometown and seeing her former colleagues. 

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. 

But the Palace Press Officer, in response, recalled that even the Vice President’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, had called her a “drama queen.” 

“So, kailan pa ba natin paniniwalaan ang mga sinasabi ng Bise Presidente kung mismo ang kaniyang ama ay sinasabing siya ay nagsisinungaling?” Castro said. 

(So when do we have to believe what the Vice President says when even her own father said that she is lying?)

GMA News Online reached out to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for a comment, and will update this story once it responds.—AOL, GMA Integrated News