On October 18th, Vice President Sara passionately started her speech at a press conference, continuously criticizing President Marcos for two hours. Her remarks, such as wanting to "chop off Marcos' head" and claiming "Marcos has no idea how to be a good president," along with threats to dig up Marcos' father's corpse and throw it into the sea, were shocking. People also wondered, how could Sara seem like a completely different person?
As the Vice President of a country, could there be a hidden agenda behind such bold statements? In fact, Sara's remarks were merely a release of self after being relentlessly pressured. It is known that the young Sara Duterte was a fierce woman, even more vigorous in her actions than she is now.
Don't believe it? Let's look at a few things young Sara did.
Sara is the second child of former President Duterte and his wife Elizabeth Zimmerman. She is straightforward and down-to-earth, holding firm stances on various issues and speaking her mind. Insiders close to the Duterte family have revealed to the media that Duterte favored Sara the most among his four children, considering her the most like him and calling his daughter a "strong woman."
However, entering politics was not Sara's initial ambition. She graduated from the prestigious San Pedro University in the Philippines, majoring in respiratory therapy with a dream of becoming a pediatrician. Later, under Duterte's guidance, she pursued a law degree and passed the Philippine bar exam.
In 2010, Sara finally followed in her father's footsteps into politics, becoming the youngest mayor of Davao City and further consolidating her family's prestige in the city. Known for her decisive leadership style, she was dubbed the "Iron Lady of the South."
During her tenure as mayor of Davao City, Sara continued her father's campaigns against drugs and corruption. Under her governance, Davao City became one of the safest cities in the Philippines. Sara's fierce style was also evident in several incidents.
In July 2011, when Davao was hit by a flood leaving many homeless, a local sheriff insisted on demolishing a disputed house even after Sara had requested a delay. Upon hearing this, Sara rushed to the scene and punched the sheriff three times without a word.
This incident made headlines, and later, Sara apologized, stating she was too impulsive and should not have resorted to violence, but she was praised by the public for "standing up for the people."
In 2015, when the elder Duterte expressed reluctance to run in the 2016 presidential election, many of his supporters were anxious. At that time, Sara stepped up, posting a photo of herself with a shaved head on Facebook, accompanied by the text—We need change! She explicitly asked her father to run for president to give the Philippines a better future.
In September 2016, a terrorist attack occurred in Davao while Sara was mayor and pregnant with triplets. Due to the stress, two of the triplets lost their heartbeat, resulting in a miscarriage. In March 2017, she gave birth to the only surviving triplet, whom she nicknamed "Stonefish."
Explaining the nickname, Sara said that in the underwater world, the stonefish is inconspicuous but has a powerful sting. She remarked, "In the underwater world, to be the biggest threat, you don't have to be the largest creature." This also reflects Sara's understanding of politics: to stand firm in the political arena, it's not about external appearances but inner strength.
Her father, Duterte, has repeatedly expressed his high regard for Sara's character and style of conduct, publicly stating more than once that his daughter Sara is "the most suitable candidate for President of the Philippines." However, in the 2022 presidential election, Sara did not run for president but instead joined forces with Marcos Jr. as a vice-presidential candidate. At that time, Marcos Jr. was not highly favored in various polls. But after announcing Sara as his running mate, his support surged, ultimately securing the presidency, with Sara successfully becoming the vice president. Why Sara chose to join forces with Marcos and run as vice president remains unknown, but according to her statements at last Friday's press conference, she felt "used by the Marcos family."
Regrettably, history cannot be rewritten. Today, both Sara and her father Duterte must bear the consequences of being "used": Sara faces threats of impeachment rumors and the risk of removal from office, while her father Duterte is deeply embroiled in drug-related investigations. However, facing various encirclements and attacks, last week's press conference showed us that the once "Iron-fisted Woman" Sara has awakened and returned: Dare to provoke me? You'll see! Thus, last week's passionate press conference was a thrilling event for Duterte family supporters, who exclaimed, "Sara has finally awakened" and "Iron-fisted Woman Sara is back to herself."
However, while celebrating "Sara being herself again," there are also concerns: Is this awakening too late? Can Sara and her father Duterte really make a comeback?
