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Elizabeth Zimmerman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the former wife of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. For the British knitter, see Elizabeth Zimmermann.
In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Abellana and the surname or paternal family name is Zimmerman, and the marital name is Duterte.

Elizabeth Zimmerman
Zimmerman in 2018
Born
Elizabeth Abellana Zimmerman[1]

(1948-04-14) April 14, 1948 (age 77)
Davao City, Philippines
EducationAteneo de Davao University
Political partyIndependent (2001)
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1973; ann. 2000)​
Children

Elizabeth Abellana Zimmerman-Duterte[2] (born April 14, 1948) is the former wife of Rodrigo Duterte, the 16th President of the Philippines, and the mother of incumbent Vice President Sara Duterte.

Early life

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Zimmerman was born on (1948-04-14)April 14, 1948 in Davao City.[3] Her birth certificate erroneously cites August 14 as her birthdate, resulting from a mistake in the late registration of her birth.[4] Her parents are Godofredo Zimmerman from Hilongos, Leyte and Purisima Abellana from Tuburan, Cebu.[5] After finishing her college degree at the Ateneo de Davao, she subsequently worked as a flight stewardess for Philippine Airlines. She subsequently held a teaching job at the Philippine Women's College upon her marriage to Duterte.[6]

Jewish ethnicity

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Rodrigo Duterte and the Zimmerman family's oral history claim that she is of patrilineal Jewish descent,[7][8] with her father having fled to the Philippines from Nazi Germany.[9] However, the family's DNA result showed a non-Jewish ethnicity.[10]

Politics

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Zimmerman ran for councilor of Davao City in 2001 but lost.[2] She joined the Biyaheng DU30 bus caravan which went around the Visayas and Mindanao, in support of her former husband's presidential bid in 2016.[2][11]

In March 2019, Zimmerman scolded her daughter, Davao City mayor Sara Duterte, for "bullying" senatorial candidates under the Otso Diretso opposition slate, telling her that "Everyone knows you are a child of Rodrigo, but they should also know that you are a child of Elizabeth."[12]

Personal life

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Zimmerman in 2016

In 1973, Zimmerman married future Davao City mayor and Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who was then a new lawyer. The couple has three children, namely Paolo ("Pulong"), Sara ("Inday Sara") and Sebastian ("Baste").

Zimmerman separated from Duterte in 1998 after she caught him in adultery. She filed for a civil annulment and lived with her brother in Metro Manila for a few months, occasionally visiting Davao City since her children were still studying there. Duterte did not contest the annulment, which was granted by a Pasig court in 2000.[6] After the annulment, Zimmerman maintained a close friendship with her former husband,[13] while Sara stayed with her.[14] She chose to continue using "Duterte" as her surname despite the annulment, saying that her church marriage with Duterte has never been declared null by the Catholic Church.[2] She has eleven grandchildren: five from Paolo, three from Sara, and three from Baste. She also has two great-grandchildren.

In August 2015, Zimmerman was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer,[13] but was declared fully recovered in October 2016. Her recovery then led to her becoming a breast cancer advocate.[15]

After Rodrigo Duterte's arrest on March 11, 2025, her daughter Vice President Sara claimed that her mother told her to prepare for the possibility that she will be arrested next.[16] By late March, Zimmerman arrived at The Hague, Netherlands, where Duterte is currently being detained.[17]

Ancestry

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References

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  1. ^ "Lawyer on Duterte: 'It ain't over until it's over'". ABS-CBN News. October 14, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d Calleja, Niña (April 17, 2016). "Campaign road trip reunites Duterte, ex-wife". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  3. ^ Gitgano, Flornisa (April 15, 2016). "Duterte drops by Cebu to see ex-wife on her 68th birthday". Sun Star Cebu. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  4. ^ Saron, Rhoda Grace (August 18, 2024). "VP Sara clarifies family gathering". Mindanao Times. Mindanao Times Corporation. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  5. ^ "Duterte's ex-wife leads 'Biyaheng DU30'". Sunstar. April 6, 2016. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "'Philandering' Rodrigo Duterte cause of marriage annulment". Rappler. July 28, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  7. ^ Ranada, Pia (October 4, 2016). "Jewish community applauds Duterte after apology". Rappler. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  8. ^ Mendez, Christina (October 5, 2016). "Duterte: No offense meant, my ex-wife is a Jew". Philstar.com. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  9. ^ Sharon, Jeremy (September 3, 2018). "Controversial Leader of the Philippines and His Jewish-ish Family". Jerusalem Post.
  10. ^ Todd Sales Lucero (June 28, 2023). "VP Sara and the myth of the Jewish ancestor". The Freeman.
  11. ^ {{cite y 31, 2016|work=Inquirer Mindanao|publisher=Philippine Daily Inquirer|date=April 5, 2016}}
  12. ^ Regalado, Edith (March 11, 2019). "Mom to Sara: Shut it down". Philstar.com. Davao City, Philippines: Philstar Global Corp. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  13. ^ a b Caduaya, Editha (November 29, 2015). "Duterte and ex-wife: The ties that bind". Rappler. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  14. ^ Rappler (April 4, 2012). The Mayors Duterte. YouTube. Google LLC. Event occurs at 4:20. Archived from the original on August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024. We're not very close. We're not very close because I come from a broken family, eh. So the time that the marriage broke up, I went with my mother.
  15. ^ Abinales, Patricio N. (July 13, 2016). "The grace of Elizabeth Zimmerman and Sara Duterte". Rappler. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  16. ^ IS (March 11, 2025). "VP Sara binalaan na ng ina: 'Ikaw na susunod'" [VP Sara warned by mother: 'You're next']. Abante (in Filipino). Prage Management Inc. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  17. ^ "Elizabeth Zimmerman joins daughter Sara Duterte in The Hague". Politiko. MCD Multimedia Corporation. March 30, 2025. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
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