Photo from the Mayor Inday Sara Duterte Facebook page
DAVAO CITY—Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte flew to Cebu on Friday afternoon, her first trip after beating COVID-19.
Her official Facebook page carried a photo of her alighting from a plane in Mactan International Airport and another in a meeting with three men.
“Magandang gabi sa inyong lahat. Confirmed po ang aking pagbisita sa Cebu. Kausap ko ngayon ang aking pinsan na si Cebu 5th District Board Member Red Duterte. Maraming salamat,” the brief post at 6 p.m. read.
On Oct. 10, Duterte announced that she was going into isolation after contracting COVID-19.
Duterte’s travel to Cebu comes as former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is seeking the presidency in 2022, was also there.
A social media post by Peter Tiu Laviña, convener of the group Sara All Philippines 2022, stoked speculations the mayor’s Cebu visit could be a political one, hinting that House Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco was also en route there.
Photo from the Mayor Inday Sara Duterte Facebook page
Even after the filing of candidacies have ended, there have been persistent calls for Duterte to run for president, availing of the substitution rule until Nov. 15.
On Thursday, televangelist Apollo Quiboloy, a close ally of the Duterte family, said he “is hopeful of a miracle” that the mayor will change her mind by abandoning her reelection bid and go for a presidential run.
“Hintayin muna natin ang Nov. 15 [Let us wait for Nov. 15],” Quiboloy said.
“Sana magbago ang isip niya [I hope she changes her mind],” Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who has filed a candidacy for president under the administration party PDP-Laban, told the SMNI News Network on Thursday.
Dela Rosa has said he would willingly give up his presidential bid for the younger Duterte.