VICE President Sara Duterte said on Thursday, July 18, 2024, that she has initially rejected the invitation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, to help in the endorsement of their respective bets for the 2025 midterm elections.
In an interview following the turnover ceremony at the Department of Education, the Vice President said she is still thinking about what direction she is going to take in relation to the midterm polls in May 2025.
"Before ako mag-resign, meron kaming isang meeting kung saan inimbita ako ni President Marcos na sumali, tumulong sa administration para sa mga senators, senator-candidates at sabi ko sa kanya, hindi muna ako sasali sa midterm elections," Duterte said.
(Before I resigned, we had a meeting where President Marcos invited me to join, help in the administration for the senators, senator-candidates and I told him, I will not participate in the midterm elections.)
"Sa isa namang pagkikita namin ni former President Duterte, by chance nagkita kami ni former President Duterte, inimbita niya rin ako na mangampanya, tumulong, sumuporta para sa mga candidates ng PDP. So sinabi ko rin sa kanya na hindi muna ako sasali sa midterm elections," she added.
(In another meeting with former President Duterte, he also invited me to campaign, help, support for the PDP candidates. So I also told him that I will not participate in the midterm elections.)
Earlier, Vice President Duterte said the former President, her brothers Paolo and Sebastian, Davao First District representative and Davao City mayor, respectively, will all be vying for senatorial position in the 2025 midterm elections.
She said her mother wanted her to go back to Davao City and replace Sebastian.
Last month, Duterte rendered her “irrevocable” resignation as the secretary of the Department of Education and as the vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. (TPM/VoxPop Philippines)