Lacson: Sara Duterte ‘potential national leader’

By Camille A. Aguinaldo, Reporter
SENATOR Panfilo M. Lacson sees Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio as a “potential national leader” among the new and fresh faces in politics.
At the Kapihan sa Senado media briefing Thursday, the senator said Ms. Duterte was his “top choice” among the young leaders in politics and described the presidential daughter as “strong-willed, stern, vibrant, and progressive-minded.”
“Based on whatever political sense I have accumulated after my long years in government service, Mayor Sara stands out and is right in front of the pack,” he said.
Before expressing support for Ms. Duterte, the senator cautioned against “influence-peddling” in government matters due to kinship.
“Only because of what the Filipinos have experienced in the past administrations involving presidential relatives, we should reject any interference and influence-peddling by somebody outside the official chain of the government bureaucracy, but who projects closeness to the president due to kinship,” he said
“It doesn’t matter if it’s an Imelda Marcos, or a Peping Cojuangco, or a Mike Arroyo, or any presidential relative. It is not about them. It is about undue intrusion in some major state affairs in which they have no business interfering,” he added.
Ms. Duterte, a known rival of ousted House speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez, has been widely linked to the changes in the House leadership last July 23.
Mr. Lacson also clarified that he was not endorsing Ms. Duterte but noting that her track record as Davao City mayor speaks for itself.
“I’m not endorsing, I’m just saying that among the known, young leaders, if we choose from young and fresh faces in national politics, we’re really looking at Sara Duterte,” he said.
“What I’m only saying is based on my own personal opinion and observation, she’s among the present crop of young leaders, she emerges as a potential national leader,” he added.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte earlier said his daughter would not seek a national position in the upcoming midterm 2019 elections. The presidential daughter has gained high ratings on surveys on possible senatorial candidates.