President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara (Presidential file photo)
MANILA – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte told his daughter Sara “Inday” Duterte not to run for president because there is no gain in seeking the highest public office unless one is corrupt, Malacañang said on Tuesday.
In a virtual Palace briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque clarified the statement made by the President in a taped speech before soldiers in Jolo, Sulu aired on Tuesday.
“There’s no gain to becoming a President unless you’re corrupt. It’s all public service, that’s what he’s saying,” Roque said.
Quoting the President himself, Roque pointed out that Duterte has repeatedly described the presidency as a “thankless job.”
“Malinaw naman po ang palaging sinasabi ni Presidente kay Mayor Sara. Talagang it’s a thankless job. It’s all sacrifice, walang return, and ayaw niya na ganyan yung buhay ng kaniyang anak (What the President said to his daughter is clear. It’s really a thankless job. It’s all sacrifice, no returns, and he doesn’t want that kind of life for his daughter),” he said.
Duterte, in his speech in Jolo, cautioned Sara against running for president in the 2022 national elections.
“Day, p***** i** ‘wag mong pasukin ‘yang trabaho na ‘yan.’ Sabi ko, magtrabaho ka diyan? Wala kang makuha unless gusto mong mamera, ah kaya. Pero kung sabihin mo magtrabaho ka lang presidente (I said, Day, don’t enter that job. I said, you want to work as president? You won’t get anything unless you want to steal money. But to say you want to work as president),” Duterte said
Since being president won’t earn you that much money, he said the only acceptable reason for running as president is if she had something to offer the nation.
“Suweldo mo PHP194,000. Ang ibang generals dito mas malaki pa sa suweldo ko, totoo lang. Sinabi ko kay Inday ‘wag kang mag-presidente unless you see something na kaya mo para gawain mo sa bayan (Your salary will be PHP194,000. Other generals earn more than me, to be honest. I told Inday, don’t be President unless you see something you can do for the country),” he said.
Though Sara herself has neither confirmed nor denied plans to seek the presidency, Duterte has repeatedly discouraged her from seeking the presidency, warning her that taking on the challenge as the highest official of the land might only “destroy” her.
In 2018, Duterte said he saw his daughter succeeding him soon but eventually gave it a second thought.
He said he does not want his daughter to go through the same experiences he currently goes through.
Sara earlier floated the possibility that she might run for president in 2022 and promised to decide by January 2021. (PNA)
