DAVAO CITY—The country’s next President still has no first lady after Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte, turned down the offer.

“I am not interested. I’ll be busy being a mayor,” Sara said in a text message to the Inquirer.

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The younger Duterte will return to her old post as mayor of this city. Her father earlier said he wanted Sara to be his first lady.

Ex-wife

Duterte is separated from his wife, Elizabeth Zimmerman, who is battling Stage 3 breast cancer.

Although separated from Rodrigo, Elizabeth joined Byaheng DU30, a 30-day on-a-bus campaign all over Mindanao and the Visayas.

Honeylet Avanceña, the mayor’s common-law wife with whom he has a 12-year-old daughter, would not say if she can assume the role of a first lady.

Time management

Peter Laviña, Duterte’s spokesperson during the campaign period, on Tuesday morning said being the first lady would not affect Sara’s role as mayor of Davao City.

“Her role as first lady will not be on a day-to-day basis,” Laviña said.

“She’ll be there only during state dinners, state visits,” he added.

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Sara, however, is firm on her stand. In an earlier statement, she said she could not be first lady because she was not good at time management.

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