MANILA, Philippines – The President’s daugher, Sara Duterte Carpio, will seek reelection as Davao City mayor instead of running for senator or congresswoman in 2019.

“She’s not interested to run for senator. Last time we talked, she still wanted to stay as Davao City mayor,” said Hugpong ng Pagbabago secretary general Anthony del Rosario during a press conference on Monday, August 13, in Parañaque City. 

Del Rosario said he had spoken with the mayor “last week.” 

“Definitely, she’s not running for Senate. That’s what she said. And she is saying she can’t leave Davao City. There’s so much she wants to do that she hasn’t accomplished yet,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. 

Del Rosario gave assurances that Duterte-Carpio would not be like her father, who repeatedly said he would not run for president, only to do so at the last minute.

Duterte-Carpio has been teasing a Senate bid to “annoy” her father’s critics, given her good performance in recent surveys on top senatorial preferences. 

She had also previously floated running for Davao City representative.

Her Davao regional party, HNP, is set to seal an alliance with political parties Nationalist People’s Coalition, National Unity Party, Nacionalista Party, and 6 local parties on Monday. – Rappler.com