Describing her daughter as the “alpha” of their family, President Rodrigo Duterte said the Filipino people can depend on his Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to fulfill his unattained promises to the public.
Duterte told members of the Filipino community in Jordan that he hopes for his daughter to accomplish the things he might not be able to complete once he steps down from his post.
“If I fail to make good on my promises, I hope in little ways, Inday, she’s a mayor, she might be in the future,” Duterte said late Friday evening. “In the family, she is the alpha. In Davao, they know. She has a strong personality since she and her siblings were young.”
“You can ask her for help. Inday is good. She’s capable,” said the President, adding that her daughter even knows how to kick a sheriff.
Duterte earlier brushed aside speculations that Duterte-Carpio will run for a national post next year as several political parties have expressed desire for her to join their senatorial slate.
A Pulse Asia survey released in July showed Duterte-Carpio, who heads the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, would likely rank third to fifth if the senatorial elections were held at the time the survey was conducted.
She has received a 46.2 percent voter preference from the 1,800 survey respondents, all registered voters, nationwide, behind only Senator Grace Poe, Taguig City Rep. Pia Cayetano, and Senator Cynthia Villar.
The presidential daughter said she was “overwhelmed” by the survey result, but made no confirmation on her political plans next year.