VICE President Sara Duterte stated that no political discussions happened during their family gathering whose photos were circulated online.
In a media interview on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at the Davao City Library & Information Center, Duterte said their conversation during that time was purely about family matters, adding that former President Rodrigo Duterte inquired about the status of his grandchildren.
“Sa family meeting nu’ng nakaraan wala naman napag-usapan na politics doon lahat yung pag-uusap lang ng pamilya (At the previous family meeting, there was no discussion of politics; all the conversations were about family),” she said.
The Vice President explained that their family dinner took place during her mother Elizabeth Zimmerman's 'supposed' birthday celebration on August 15, 2024.
“So walang napag-usapan na politika doon lahat ang pinag-usapan ay inisa-isa nila mag-asawa ang mga apo, kamusta na si, anong nangyari kay ano, saan na nag-aaral, mga gano’n (So, there was no discussion of politics there; what my father and mother talked about were updates on their grandchildren — how are they? What happened to them? Where are they studying?),” she said.
Earlier, a picture of the Duterte family circulated online. In the picture, Elizabeth, Sara, Rodrigo, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, and First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte were seen sitting at a dinner table.
On June 25, 2024, Sara announced that three members of the Duterte family would be vying for a seat in the Senate. She mentioned that her brothers, Paolo and Sebastian, and her father would be running in the next Senate election. However, the former president denied this on June 30, stating that Sara's statement should not be believed, emphasizing that he has not seen a father and two sons in the Senate. RGP
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