VERONICA “Kitty” Duterte, daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, has expressed openness to entering politics, citing recent developments involving her father’s case at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Speaking at the miting de avance of senatorial candidate Rodante Marcoleta, a member of the PDP-Laban slate, Kitty said she felt compelled to step forward following what she described as the “kidnap” and “abuse” of her father, who is currently in The Hague, Netherlands, for ICC proceedings related to alleged crimes against humanity.
“Ako ay isang 21-year-old college student lamang at ayaw ko sanang makisali sa politika. Pero nang dahil sa pag-kidnap at pag-abuso nila sa tatay ko, nandito ako ngayon para ipaglaban hindi lamang ang pamilya ko kundi ang bansang Pilipinas,” she said.
Kitty’s mother, Honeylet Avanceña, also revealed that former President Duterte encouraged their daughter to follow in his footsteps.
“Sabi ng anak ko, ayaw niya pumasok sa politika. Sabi ko, ‘Ako rin, ayoko sana.’ Pero sabi ng papa niya, ‘Mag-aral ka. Sumunod ka sa yapak ko,’” Honeylet shared.
In her remarks, Kitty clarified her motivations: “My love for my country is what brought me here. There was never any personal agenda involved. Mahal niya ang bayan niya. Pilipinas, Duterte pa rin!”
While Kitty has yet to confirm any official plans to run for public office, her speech was widely seen as a soft launch of her political intentions.
