‘Inday Sara Show’ vs opposition packs up
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s mother Elizabeth Zimmerman has stepped into the word war between Carpio and Vice President Leni Robredo and the opposition’s Otso Diretso senatorial candidates, telling the mayor to end her “bullying.”
“Kaninang umaga, nakatanggap ako ng phone call galing sa nanay ko na nasa Davao City at sinabi niya ’wag daw ako makipag-away at ’wag ko raw i-bully ang mga opposition sa administration ni (Early this morning, I received a phone call from my mother who is in Davao City and she told me not to pick a fight with and bully the opposition to the administration of) President Duterte,” Carpio said yesterday during Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP)’s campaign rally in Lipa City, Batangas.
She said she is heeding her mother’s call: “So mag-pack up na po ang Inday Sara Show. Wala na po siya. Sarado na po (So the ‘Inday Sara Show’ is packing up. It’s gone. It’s closed).”
“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 told me, ‘Everyone knows you are the daughter of Rodrigo, but people should also know you are the daughter of Elizabeth.) Shut it down,” she added.
The President’s daughter has taken on the opposition and Robredo on issues such as honesty and the proposed debate between the bets of Otso Diretso and HNP, which Carpio heads.
Carpio is known to be as feisty as her father, and one who does not back out from any fight.
The President has repeatedly admitted that he is a pushover to Carpio, his daughter with Elizabeth, his first wife, and his other daughter Veronica with his long-time partner Honeylet Avanceña.
Duterte also described Carpio as the “alpha” of the family who takes care of their affairs.
Carpio, according to the Chief Executive, is the one that keeps the family intact and at times even orders him around if he is not able to do whatever he promises for the family, including providing their allowances.
Zimmerman, who is suffering from cancer, took a respite from her treatment and went on a Biyaheng Du30 bus campaign going around Visayas and Mindanao, exactly a month before the May 9, 2016 presidential elections.
The Biyaheng Du30 bus campaign was reportedly Zimmerman’s idea in support of the father of her children.
No trading of barbs
Meanwhile, Robredo yesterday said she would not trade barbs with Carpio.
Insulting words do not help address the problems of the country, according to the Vice President.
“I can only control myself. My policy really is if the discussion is no longer productive, if it involves insults, I don’t want to get involved,” she said in an interview in Hong Kong where she joined the campaign sortie of five candidates of the Otso Diretso.
Asked about her reaction on Carpio’s statement yesterday that she was scolded by her mother for “bullying” the opposition, Robredo said, “Mother knows best?”
Robredo added she would only criticize wrongdoings but would not insult people.
“If I think I need to say something, I won’t hesitate no matter what the repercussions will be,” she said.
Carpio earlier dubbed Otso Diretso bets as “black holes” for repeatedly challenging administration-backed candidates to a debate.
The presidential daughter also traded barbs with Robredo, who criticized her statement that honesty should not be an election issue.
Carpio called Robredo a “fake vice president” with questionable honesty and whose courage is also fake.– With Helen Flores