VICE President Sara Duterte has urged the nation to move forward, acknowledging the likelihood that her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, will not return to the Philippines following his recent arrest.
In a virtual press conference, she responded to questions regarding National Security Adviser Eduardo Año’s role in the events surrounding her father’s arrest last week.
VP Sara stated that she harbors no anger or disappointment regarding the situation, saying, “Honestly, I don’t feel anything. I’m not angry, I’m not disappointed. Nothing at all. Because it’s pointless for me to harbor feelings about what happened. He can’t be brought back. President Duterte can’t be brought back to the Philippines.”
She emphasized the need for the country to move on, stating, “So what we should do as a country is move on from what happened. What will we do as [we move] forward as a country and as a people from what happened. Even if we get angry, our anger will be pointless because the government won’t hold them accountable.”
Despite the apparent lack of effort from Philippine authorities to secure her father’s return, VP Duterte confirmed that her camp will continue exploring options to bring him home. She noted that her father has expressed a desire to serve again as mayor of Davao City.
VP Sara concluded by suggesting that while they might demand action from the government, she believes efforts to bring the former President home are unlikely.
She stated, “Perhaps we should demand from the government to look for ways, but clearly from the answers of the secretary of the Department of Justice earlier, I don’t think they will make moves in taking back or bringing the former President home. So we’ll just find another way to bring back home our former president.”
