Father’s detention triggered my poll involvement - VP

Metro Manila, Philippines - Former President Rodrigo Duterte's arrest and detention at the International Criminal Court prompted Vice President Sara Duterte to endorse the senatorial candidacies of re-electionist Imee Marcos, Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar, and the 10-member PDP Laban slate, she said on Tuesday, April 22.

In a chance interview in Cebu, Duterte said she was supposed to be apolitical in the midterm polls, even rejecting earlier calls from her father and even from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before their falling out.

“Ngunit nagbago yung panahon dahil nangyari yung pagkuha sa ating dating pangulo dito sa ating bansa, dinala doon sa The Hague…at sinabi ko sa kanya na, ‘Okay, since wala ka naman na doon sa Pilipinas, pwede akong tumulong sa six PDP candidates and four guest candidates ng Duterte,’” she said, adding that her father asked her to support the PDP bets when she visited him at The Hague, Netherlands.

[Translation: But times have changed because of what happened - the arrest of our former president here in our country, who was brought to The Hague... And I told him, okay, since you're no longer in the Philippines, I can help the six PDP candidates and four guest candidates of Duterte.]

Duterte said she endorsed Marcos and Villar who have been her friends for a long time.

She earlier said her friendship with the re-electionist senator "goes beyond politics" as a presidential sister. Marcos quit her brother’s senatorial lineup over disagreements with the former president’s arrest in March.

“Ang kay Senator Imee Marcos…hindi naman odd or awkward dahil si Senator Imee Marcos kilala niya ako, magkakilala kami,” Duterte said.

“At si Camille naman ay matagal ko na rin siyang kilala. Matagal na kami, merong exchange ng mga ideas on motherhood,” she added.

[Translation: As for Senator Imee Marcos...it's not odd or awkward because Senator Imee Marcos knows me — we know each other…And as for Camille, I’ve also known her for a long time. We've had an exchange of ideas about motherhood for quite a while now.]

The vice president also clarified that her endorsement of Marcos and Villar was on her own and without her father’s blessing. This means, the two candidates are not adopted by PDP-Laban, the former president’s party.

“Wala akong sinasalihan na rallies dahil hindi din naman magkasama yung Duterte and tsaka yung dalawang candidates. Hopefully, depende sa PDP. Hindi naman kasi ako member ng PDP pero mapag-isipan nila kung paano gagawin yung mga rallies na kompleto, 12 ‘yung voting straight,” she said.

[Translation: I’m not joining any rallies because Duterte and the two candidates aren’t together either. Hopefully, it depends on the PDP. I’m not a member of PDP, but maybe they’ll think about how to organize rallies that are complete, with all 12 candidates for a straight vote.]

Endorsing to win impeachment case

Meanwhile, the vice president denied allegations that she finally endorsed senatorial bets to win her impeachment case.

House Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega earlier said Duterte’s “change of tune” in supporting candidates “appears calculated given the looming impeachment trial at the Senate, where the vice president’s political survival now hangs in the balance.”

“Hindi eh, kasi ang nag-trigger ng paglabas ko ay ‘yung ginawa nila kay Pangulong Duterte,” she said.

[Translation: No. What triggered me was what the government did to former President Duterte.]

Duterte said her lawyers are “more than confident” to win the impeachment trial.

Senate President Chiz Escudero previously said the trial may begin in July after the president’s fourth State of the Nation Address.

The vice president was impeached by the House of Representatives in February over supposed betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and graft and corruption, among others. This stemmed from a number of issues, including her controversial budget spending and threats to the president’s life.