Vice President Sara Duterte said on Thursday that Filipinos should now focus on moving forward because there is a strong chance that her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, will not be coming back to the Philippines. This comes after he was arrested upon his return from Hong Kong last week.
Sara Duterte’s Response to Her Father’s Arrest
When asked in a virtual press conference how she felt about National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, given that her father was arrested immediately upon arrival in the country, she gave a calm and composed response.
“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 said.
Sara Duterte believes that the best thing to do now is to look forward and not dwell on the past. She explained that being angry about the situation would not help because, in her opinion, the government is not going to take any action to hold anyone responsible.
“Even if we get angry, our anger will be pointless because the government won’t hold them accountable,” she added.
Sara Duterte’s Efforts to Bring Her Father Home
Despite her belief that the Philippine government will not make any efforts to bring her father back, Sara Duterte said that their camp is still exploring ways to make his return possible.
She even revealed that Rodrigo Duterte himself has expressed a strong desire to serve as the mayor of Davao City again.
“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 a move to bring the former President home. So we’ll just find another way to bring him back,” the Vice President stated.
Was There a Traitor?
Another big question that has been raised is whether someone from Duterte’s own group betrayed him. Some people believe that someone who was with him in Hong Kong leaked important information that led to his arrest.
When asked about this, Sara Duterte didn’t directly call anyone a traitor but admitted that she believes someone in the group was sharing secret details.
“I wouldn’t call them a traitor, but I’m sure that with so many people in that room, someone was definitely revealing what was being talked about inside. I just don’t know who they were telling these things to,” she said.
Other Officials React
Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año denied having any role in a so-called “conspiracy” to arrest Duterte. He said his only job was to ensure that the situation did not turn into a national security threat.
Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, a known ally of Duterte, admitted feeling upset with Año. He said that, as a courtesy, Año should have at least warned Duterte’s team while they were still in Hong Kong that the former President would be arrested upon arrival in the Philippines.
Dela Rosa also shared that he had heard rumors about someone betraying Duterte, but he did not know who that person might be.
As things stand, the situation remains uncertain. While Sara Duterte and her team are trying to find ways to bring her father back to the Philippines, it is unclear whether they will be successful. For now, she encourages the nation to focus on moving forward and looking ahead to the future.
