President Rodrigo Duterte leads the flag-raising ceremony during the commemoration of the 123rd Anniversary of the martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal at the Rizal Park in Davao City on Dec. 30, 2019. Assisting the President is Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. Karl Norman Alonzo, Presidential Photo/File
MANILA — Vice presidential bet Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said Wednesday she tested negative for narcotics, after her father President Rodrigo Duterte claimed a contender for the top job in the 2022 elections uses cocaine.
Duterte-Carpio said she took the drug test upon the request of her running-mate, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., "to support the call for transparency as aspiring public officials seeking the trust of our fellow Filipinos."
The results of the drug test shared by Duterte-Carpio's camp showed she was negative for several illegal substances.
This document shared by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio's camp shows she tested negative for narcotics. Handout
The President last week said a "weak leader" from a wealthy family supposedly abuses cocaine. He has not named the presidential contender and did not cite any evidence.
Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said he took a drug test and submitted negative results to authorities.
He and Duterte-Carpio this week vowed to continue and "add heart" to her father's war on drug war, which has left thousands dead.
Duterte-Carpio said their camp's stand against illegal drugs "is united and unequivocal" as seen from their negative test results and push for "for effective measures of prevention, rehabilitation, and enforcement."
But the mayor said while the narcotics drive was important, "other compelling issues continue to challenge our country’s ability to provide long-term safety and security for our people."
"Therefore, it is crucial in this electoral season that we focus on the substantial qualifications of those that seek to lead our country," Duterte-Carpio said.
She said candidates should be weighed on their ability to manage crisis, exposure to executive, legislative, and administrative work, security and development track record; and platform for job security and livelihood.
SARA MARKS INT'L DAY FOR ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Duterte-Carpio in a separate statement marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Thursday.
"Allow me to emphasize that we have a moral obligation to ensure that the world is a safe world for women and girls. Not only the government, not only the media, not only the civil-society organizations — but all of us," said the mayor.
"Ending violence against women and girls is not only possible. It is doable," she said.
Duterte-Carpio said her hometown passed a Women Development Code as early as 1997. Its 2003 amendment led to the creation of a special division under the mayor's office, whose functions included addressing cases of domestic violence, she said.
The mayor said social workers and law enforcement representatives must be readily available for women and children who need help, while lawyers must ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
Women, she said, must have a chance to develop their skills and get employment opportunities so that they would be economically independent.
The Duterte patriarch, who was a longtime mayor of Davao City before becoming president, previously courted accusations of misogyny for calling some women derogatory terms, joking about womanizing and rape, and saying in January that women were not fit to be president.