Outgoing Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's eldest daughter has been sworn in as Vice President on Sunday, over two weeks ahead of President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and breaking with convention, which sees the two top officials take office on the same day.
President Rodrigo Duterte attended his daughter's inauguration ceremony in Davao, her family's stronghold in the Philippines, where she is departing mayor. Thousands of people attended the ceremony, which included Marcos Jr. and former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The oath was administered by Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, whom her father appointed as the Supreme Court's 180th member in 2018.
Duterte has long been trained for public service as a lawyer and a reserved colonel in the Philippine Army. She has carved herself a political career similar to her father's, but rather than following in his populist footsteps, she has adopted a more pragmatic approach.
Sara Duterte swore to bring the Philippines together.
"We should not, as we could not afford to squander the future of our children. The days ahead may be full of challenges that call for us to be more united as a nation," Inday Sara said
She is the youngest vice president in history, at 44 years old, and the third woman after Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Maria Leonor Robredo.
Her six-year term in office, which she will share with Ferdinand Marcos Junior, will begin on June 30. In May's elections, the pair bolstered record landslide victories by building a formidable alliance and ran on a platform of unity, which helped many of their allies win power elsewhere in government as well.
In the May elections, the incoming vice president received 32.2 million votes, or 61.5 percent of the total, an even higher percentage than Marcos, who also won by a landslide. Sara Duterte, who was the front-runner in early presidential polls before deciding to run as Marcos' deputy, will be the secretary of education.
"Today, our children are facing a very complex future, one that is rife with conflict and uncertainties," Sara Duterte said in her speech, also adding poverty, drugs, and misinformation are among the difficulties the country faces, she said.
Duterte-Carpio rallied her country's 110 million people to serve her country and protect the integrity of families and children's future.
"Let us show our love for our country by taking care of our family and communities despite the challenges that come their way," Sara added.
