
Vice President Sara Duterte during an ambush interview in this file photo taken during the National Childrens month celebration on November 28 in Taguig City. 好色先生TV file photo / NOY MORCOSO
MANILA, Philippines 鈥 Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday maintained ambiguity on her political plans, saying that there was 鈥渃onfusion鈥 in her previous speech where she declared that she will run for office 鈥渋n the next elections.鈥
Duterte made the pronouncement after she was pressed by reporters to clarify her recent declaration that she will run for office 鈥渋n the next elections.鈥
READ: VP Duterte declares she鈥檒l run again for office 鈥榠n the next elections鈥
According to Duterte, there was merely confusion in how her speech was understood.
鈥淢aayos naman pagkalatag doon, ang confusion lang ay piecemeal yung understanding at appreciation ng mga tao,鈥 said Duterte in a chance interview.
(The arrangement in the speech is fine; the confusion lies in the piecemeal understanding and appreciation of the people.)
In her speech in Barangay Bago Gallera, Davao City, on Monday, Duterte said that she will run in the next elections after her brothers declared that they won鈥檛 be running in the next elections.
鈥淣arinig ko na sinabi ng aking kapatid, si Mayor Baste (Sebastian Duterte), at ng aking mas matandang kapatid, si Congressman Pulong (Paolo Duterte), na hindi sila tatakbo. Baka hindi sila tatakbo sa susunod na eleksyon, kaya鈥檛 narito ako sa inyong harap dahil mangangampanya ako sa inyo dahil tatakbo ako sa susunod na eleksyon,鈥 Duterte said in Bisaya.
(I heard that my sibling, Mayor Baste, and my elder sibling, Congressman Pulong, mentioned that they won鈥檛 run. Maybe they won鈥檛 run in the next election, so that鈥檚 why I am here with you because I will campaign for you since I will run in the next election.)
But Duterte said her speech was interpreted in a way people would want to understand.
鈥淚 think 鈥榶ung confusion is piecemeal ang appreciation ng mga tao doon sa sinabi ko,鈥 Duterte explained.
(I believe the confusion stems from people there having a fragmented appreciation of what I said.)
鈥淚big sabihin, tinatanggal nila ang isang linya para sabihin kung ano ang gusto nila na interpretation,鈥 she added.
(It means they are omitting a line to convey the interpretation they prefer.)
READ: VP Sara Duterte says she has no ambition to run for president in 2028
When questioned again about her statement regarding running 鈥渋n the next elections鈥 and whether it implies resigning from Vice President and Education Secretary positions, Duterte clarified that she did not make such a statement.
鈥淲ala akong sinabing ganiyan doon sa aking speech 鈥 sabi ko nga, ang paniwala ko, dahil line per line siya iniinterpret ng mga tao hindi 鈥榶ung buong speech kaya nagkakaroon ng mga tanong,鈥 said Duterte.
(I didn鈥檛 say anything like that in my speech. As I mentioned, people are interpreting it line by line, not considering the entire speech, which leads to questions.)
Despite several days of requests, the full copy of Duterte鈥檚 speech in Davao has yet to be provided by the Office of the Vice President.