‘No more Inday Sara show’ after mom scolds her over word war with opposition

MANILA, Philippines — Hugpong ng Pagbabago campaign manager and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said she would end her word war against members of the opposition after her mother, Elizabeth Zimmerman, called her out for “bullying” critics of her father’s administration.

Duterte-Carpio, the eldest daughter of the president, made the statement after she claimed she received a phone call from her mother who is in Davao City on Sunday morning.

“Sabi ng nanay ko alam ng lahat ng tao na anak ka ni Rodrigo pero dapat malaman din nila na anak ka ni Elizabeth. (My mother said, everyone knows I’m the daughter of Rodrigo [Duterte] but they should also know I’m a daughter of Elizabeth). Shut it down,” Duterte-Carpio was quoted by News 5.

“At sinabi niya wag daw ako makipag-away at wag ko raw i-bully ang mga opposition sa administration ni [Presidente] Duterte (And she said I should not fight and bully those who are opposing the administration of President Duterte)," she added.

For this, Duterte-Carpio said she is ending the word war against the opposition members.

“Sinabi nya na I should always be kind first before anything else. So, mag-pack up na po Inday Sara show. Wala na po sya. Sarado na po (She said I should always be kind first before anything else. So the Inday Sara show is packing up. She is gone. It is now closed)," she continued.

On Saturday, Duterte-Carpio criticized Vice President Leni Robredo over her remarks on the dishonesty of some candidates.

The president’s daughter said Robredo is not called a "fake VP for no reason" in an apparent reference to the election protest filed by defeated vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos in 2016.

This electoral fraud allegation however, has yet to be proven in the pending case before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

The remarks over dishonesty of some candidates came after Duterte-Carpio last week defended Hugpong candidate and Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos over allegations that she wasn’t honest about her supposed university degrees. 

READ: Sara Duterte responds to criticism over Imee Marcos’ degree: Everyone’s a liar 

Duterte-Carpio said all candidates are “liars.”

“Lahat sila sinungaling. Lahat ng tao sa mundong ito [ay] sinungaling (All of them [Otso Diretso] are liars. Everyone in this world is a liar),” Duterte-Carpio told reporters covering a campaign event on Wednesday afternoon. 

The remark drew negative criticisms from opposition members who thanked her for “telling the truth” that Hugpong candidates are “liars.”

Duterte-Carpio also previously said that Marcos would address the issue of misrepresenting her academic credentials after it was found she did not earn a degree from Princeton University and the University of the Philippines Diliman. 

Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo refused to comment on the honesty of candidates as an electoral issue.

Panelo said he would rather “not respond to the question,” citing the law prohibiting government employees from engaging in partisan political activities.

The Palace spokesperson also said that "personal dealing" is needed to determine the honesty of an election candidate.

READ: Honesty an election issue? Panelo evades question, invokes right against self-incrimination

"How would you know that I'm not honest because you don't have experience of dealing with me. You need to have personal experience with me," Panelo challenged.

"That's why Mayor Sara can say, let's not talk about honesty because how would you know?" Panelo said in a mix of English and Filipino.