Duterte children apologize for father’s gaffe, say he can still lead
MANILA, Philippines – Davao City Mayor and presidential aspirant Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte’s children recently apologized for their father’s behavior but assured the public that he can still lead the country.
Duterte’s daughter, Sara “Inday Sara” Duterte-Carpio said she understands the supporters who found her father’s behavior foul. Sara made the statement on her Instagram account where she reacted to Duterte supporters who commented on the mayor’s cursing at Pope Francis.
She said her father may be a lawyer with a manner she dubbed as “street thug,” but she assured that he is intelligent enough to become a president.
“I perfectly understand where you are coming from. I apologize for his behavior. Rest assured, he is intelligent enough for the highest public position, unfortunately, he does not have the finesse of Lady Diana. In essence, he is a lawyer with the manners of a street thug,” Sara said.
On the other hand, Duterte’s son, Davao Vice Mayor Paolo “Pulong” Duterte said the smear campaign against him and his family begun which he considered “cheap shots.”
“It has begun. They picked up dripping mud to throw at me and my family to discredit and paint a horrible image of us,” Paolo said.
“There are people who, prompted by agenda, malice, and desperation, impute upon us defects and vices to make us seemingly unfit and unworthy of people's support and admiration... All these are cheap shots,” he added.
Paolo referred to these detractors, Duterte’s political rivals, as “attack dogs.”
"Other presidentiables' or vice presidentiables' "attack dogs" are out and unleashed to prey on the presidential run of our father, Mayor Duterte. If these are their ways of discrediting the mayor, it's lame and lazy. In such case they're not "attack dogs" but rather they are more like "newborn puppies" to us. You can do better than this," he said.
The Davao vice mayor also said that due to these criticisms thrown at him and his family, he expects that he may be called names such as “drug lord, rapist, smuggler and carnapper.” He said that in his younger days, he had a rebel teenager life but that phase made him better.
“In my younger days, I have had my share of teenage adventurism. I've been involved in bar fights, crazy car driving, raging temper and other adventures (or misadventures) which may not be your ideal childhood experiences. I'm not the typical guy who visits museums, libraries, and school chapels. I am one of the few (or many) who went "crazy" over teenage life. I've had its best and worst. But all these didn't send me down the drain. It made me a better person by earning and experiencing life's lessons first-hand,” Paolo said.
He said he finds the criticisms thrown against them unfair but he is confident that they can disprove the detractors as they are a "work in progress."
“This to us is unfair but we are unperturbed. We are unperturbed because what matters presently are the people that we serve, no more no less. The more they put us down, the more we rise above it but not by disproving them all wrong head-on but by improving on the brand of service we are known to deliver to the people. We are a work in progress, nobody's not,” Paolo said.
“We are certain that at the end of the day we shall be judged not by your false and reckless attributions but by the deeds done for the people while in office,” he added.
It has begun. They picked up dripping mud to throw at me and my family to discredit and paint a horrible image of...
Posted by Vice Mayor Pulong Duterte - Official on Monday, November 30, 2015
On Monday, Duterte was under fire after he cussed at Pope Francis during his speech, narrating his experience during the papal visit gridlock. However, he clarified that the profanity was not intended to attack the Pope but to the government which caused major disruption during the pontiff's visit.
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