DAVAO City Mayor and vice presidential aspirant Sara Duterte-Carpio said Sunday, November 22, that she chose to be the running mate of Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. because she believes in his political experience.
"[N]ganong si Bongbong Marcos ang akoang gipili na kapares? Unang-una, he’s a former governor. Walay makiglalis sa iyang experience as governor, murag ako -- mayor, local chief executive. Ikaduha, duna sya’y experience sa House of Representatives. Nahimo siyang congressman. Ikatulo, nahimo siyang senador, gipili ninyo, giboto ninyo," the mayor said during the BBM-Sara Unity Caravan held in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
(Why did I choose to partner with Bongbong Marcos? First, he is a former governor. Nobody can question his experience as governor. Like me, I am a mayor, local chief executive. Secondly, he has had experience at the House of Representatives. He became a congressman. Third, he was a senator. You chose him, you voted for him.)
"Pagtuo nako, and I confidently believe nga kana iyahang experience: gobernador, congressman, senador -- mao na ang magtabang sa iyaha para mabuhat niya ang trabaho nga pangulo ng Pilipinas (I believe, and I confidently believe that his experience as a governor, congressman and a senator will help him fulfill his duty as the country's president)," she added.
Bongbong is the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
In 1980, the 23-year-old Marcos Jr. became vice governor of Ilocos Norte, running unopposed under the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan party of his father, who was ruling the Philippines under martial law at the time. He then became governor of Ilocos Norte in 1983.
He was elected as representative of Ilocos Norte's second congressional district from 1992 to 1995. Marcos ran for and was elected governor of Ilocos Norte again in 1998. After nine years, he returned to his previous position as representative from 2007 to 2010, then became senator of the Philippines under the Nacionalista Party from 2010 to 2016.
Marcos, who is running for president, confirmed on November 16 that Duterte-Carpio will be his tandem for the 2022 elections.
The "BBM-Sara" Caravan in Tagum was their first public appearance together as a tandem.
But Duterte-Carpio admitted that many of her supporters were disappointed in her decision to settle for the vice presidency despite calls for her to run for president.
"Una, mag isplikar lang ko gamay kung nganong nidagan ko pagka vice president. Daghan sa inyoha, especially dinhi sa Davao Region noh, ang wala nalipay sa akong desisyon nga dili modagan ug president (Allow me to explain why I chose to run for vice president because many of you, especially in Davao Region, expressed disappointment to not run for the presidency)," she said.
The mayor said she had her reasons, but she opted not to disclose it.