MANILA, Philippines — Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has thumbed down the idea of running for senator, endorsing instead Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson and Deputy Speaker Pia Cayetano.

In a “Tapang at Malasakit” activity in Hongkong, President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter told overseas Filipino workers that the two are competent to serve the public.

“Hindi ko kaya iwanan ang mga anak ko. ‘Yun din ‘yung reason kung bakit hindi ako tatakbong senador. Kasi hindi ko, sorry, hindi talaga (I can’t leave my children. That’s the reason why i will not run for senator. Because I can’t, sorry),” Duterte-Carpio said.

“Pero meron akong i-endorse sa inyo, nandiyan si Usec. (sic) Mocha Uson at nandyan si Senator Pia Cayetano, sila ang ilagay nating mga senator (But I am endorsing Usec. Uson and Senator Pia Cayetano, let’s vote for them as senators),” she added.

In a Facebook post, Uson thanked the Davao mayor but stressed she has no plans of running for senator as of now.

Earlier, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, secretary general of the PDP-Laban, included the name of Uson in the party’s senatorial slate for the 2019 elections.

Alvarez has also floated the names of presidential spokesman Harry Roque, Davao City Representative Karlo Nograles, and Bataan Representative Geraldine Roman.