Vice President Sara Duterte revealed on Friday that Senator Imee Marcos asked her to run as Vice President alongside President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the 2022 national elections to secure a victory against former Vice President Leni Robredo.
Duterte recounted that in late October 2021, Presidential sister and Senator Imee Marcos called her to inquire whether she would be willing to run as Vice President under President Marcos.
She quickly questioned Imee Marcos about the reason she was being asked to run for the position of Vice President.
"I’m happy that she was honest enough to say, ‘kasi matatalo kami ni Leni kung hindi mo dalahin ang Bisaya," Duterte said during a press briefing.
“It was all about winning, sinabi niya sa akin,” she added.
Duterte conveyed her initial reservations, stating that such matters had not been addressed within their family, including the possibility of her winning if she decided to run.
To ascertain her electoral viability, the Marcos camp conducted a "quick and dirty" survey to acquire a rough estimate of her chances of victory.
She further stated that the survey results were positive. The survey suggested that as long as they remained united as a tandem with Marcos, they would secure victory in the elections.
Due to the favorable results of the survey, she consulted her family to seek reasons why she should not run, but they did not provide any objections. They merely asked how they could assist her.
She asked her brother Sebastian 'Baste' Duterte if he could ensure that Davao would rank as the third city; if he could not, she would choose not to run for Vice President and instead remain as Mayor. He promptly assured her that it was feasible, which led her to officially decide to run.
“So no. Hindi ko sinuway, hindi matigas ang ulo ko. Hindi totoo na pinatakbo ako ni President Duterte,” said Duterte.
She then mentioned that whenever her father saw her, he would advise her not to run, expressing concern for her well-being.
What requests Duterte make to Marcos if they won the elections?
Duterte mentioned that she had two specific requests for Marcos should they emerge victorious in the elections.
The first request pertains to her appointment in the security sector, as she believes that there can be no development without a solid security backbone for the country.
When asked why she preferred the Department of National Defense, she stated that having spent a considerable amount of time in Mindanao, where the majority of issues involve insurgency and terrorism, she is well aware of these challenges.
"Kinalakihan ko ‘yan, naiitintindihan ko siya.’ In fact, nung bumaba ako insurgency free na ang Davao city so naiintindihan ko siya,” Duterte explained.
She remarked that Marcos readily agreed to her request without hesitation.
Her second request concerns her maternal duties, as she seeks assistance to support her air travel for her children who will be left behind in Davao.
"Suportahan mo lang ‘yung air travel ko because I need to go home to my children," she recalled telling Marcos.
Eventually, she indicated that her appointment to the DND did not take place due to her desire to avoid controversy.
“Kasi DND ‘yan, hawak mo ang military. So sabi ko sa sarili ko, ayaw ko na magtrabaho ng ganon na araw -araw kang pinag-iisipan na mayroon kang gawin," Duterte explained.
Moreover, her request for air travel assistance was not granted, as it was allegedly given precedence for First Lady Liza Marcos, which she interpreted as a lack of sincerity.
Does Duterte regret running as Marcos's running mate?
When inquired if she had any regrets about her candidacy alongside Marcos, Duterte swiftly stated that she did not.
“No, hindi ko pinagsisihan ‘yung pagtakbo ko as Vice President and no, hindi ko rin pinagsisihan na nakipag-tandem ako sa kanya [PBBM],” said Duterte.
“I’m sure mayroong rason ang Diyos kung bakit ako nilagay dito sa upuan na ito. Sa ilalim ng seal na ‘yan," she added.
Does Duterte feel that she was utilized to someone else's advantage?
The Vice President clarified that she was not coerced into running, as her decision-making process was very rational at the time she sought the position.
However, she mentioned that she feels she was used to help secure a victory for Marcos.
“Nagamit, yes. Clear naman ‘yon. Tinanong ko sabi ko ‘bakit ako?’ and then she said, matatalo kami ni Leni," Duterte stated.
“Of course ginamit nila ako para manalo sila. Obvious naman ‘yon,” she added.
