- VP Sara says mom urged mayor to seek a national post, leave Davao to her
VICE PRESIDENT Sara Duterte revealed that her mother suggested her brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, could take her place so that she could return home to her bailiwick.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 6, the Vice President clarified that she and her brother have not discussed any potential presidential bid.
However, she shared that her mother advised her to head back to Davao and leave national politics to Baste.
“Go back to Davao… It’s up to Baste, the national team,” Duterte quoted her mother as saying.
‘Mayor Baste for President’
While acknowledging that the idea had been floated by her mother before, Duterte maintained that she and Baste have yet to formally talk about a national run.
“We haven’t discussed Mayor Sebastian Duterte running for president,” Duterte said in a mix of Filipino and English. “As I think I’ve mentioned before, my mother really told me to come home to Davao, and that Baste should be the one to run in the national elections.”
The Vice President also stressed that running for public office is a deeply personal choice that should never be forced onto anyone.
“I haven’t thought of anyone I would tell to run,” she explained. “For me, based on my personal experience, running should really be a personal decision because, first of all, the job is no joke; second, campaigning and the elections are not easy.”
