Lawmakers congratulate Sara Duterte on inauguration day

Some lawmakers on Sunday congratulated Vice President-elect Sara Duterte as she took her oath as the 15th Vice President of the Philippines.

House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, Duterte's campaign manager in Eleksyon 2022, said Duterte did her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, proud with her victory.

"It’s just apt that she wants to begin her term as Vice President in her home city,” he added in a statement.

Romualdez is the president of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) while Duterte is the chairperson of the political party. Duterte ran in the 2022 vice presidential race under Lakas-CMD.

Romualdez said Duterte and President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. would be "on solid ground to achieve their vision."

"I have seen up close the synergy between them, their limitless energy, dynamism, dedication to their job, and their compassion, and I have no doubt that they will succeed,” he said.

Albay Representative Joey Salceda, a known ally of Duterte, is confident that the Vice President-elect "will shine wherever she is assigned by the President-elect."

"From the here and now, until 2028, I can feel na papunta pa lang tayo sa exciting part. Congratulations VP Sara, and count on me again and always for advice, support, and friendship," Salceda said in a statement.

The lawmaker added that he has always wanted the public to know how Duterte led Davao City, and that he knew that the Vice President-elect was made of "leadership mettle."

"I went on national television to tell the people of the Philippines how well she did her job for the people of Davao. The first public hospice in the country. The first city-wide smart security system. The first world-class agricultural product that was government-induced. The most successful development program for peace. I wanted the people to know that her work was the kind of governance they deserved on a national level," he said.

Salceda believes that her leadership at the Department of Education will be a "golden age of education reforms and innovation." Marcos had chosen Duterte to lead the DepEd under his administration.

"The DepEd is burdened, management-wise, by its size. Well, Davao City is the most sizable city in the country, so size will not intimidate the VP-elect. She has run several innovations in Davao, including the country’s first public hospice, the first smart-city security system, the first government-induced agri-export sector, and the country’s most successful development-for-peace program," Salceda said.

"Her staff’s average age is 39, recruited from the private sector. She will be innovative, I am sure," he added.

Salceda said he would tackle with Duterte his ten-part Comprehensive Education Reform Agenda, which includes reforms in the education curriculum, skills development, infrastructure and facilities, teacher training and workload, and childhood nutrition. — BM, GMA News