BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR and RAYMOND AFRICA
PRESIDENT Duterte yesterday told members of the administration party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), to stand together while remaining true to their mission of serving the people.
The President, in a pre-recorded message aired during the party’s national council assembly held in Cebu City, said that as the country continues to work at overcoming the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the party members must continue to work together in pursuing initiatives aimed at strengthening gains in good governance.
“I call on all of my party mates to stand together and remain united not by personal interest but by our principles and values as we chart the future of our party and the rest of the nation,” Duterte, party chairman, amid a rift between party officials.
The meeting pushed through despite the call last week of Sen. Manny Pacquiao, acting party president, for party mates to “ignore” a letter from Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, the party’s vice chairman, calling for a national assembly.
Pacquiao has said the meeting called by Cusi violated the party’s constitution. He also said any meeting should be approved by Duterte and him.
But presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Sunday said it was Duterte who ordered Cusi to call the national assembly and to preside over the meeting.
The assembly reportedly aims to consult the members on what the party has accomplished and still needs to do, determine how to support the President’s agenda in his last year in office, and the party’s plans for the 2022 elections.
Some members are asking the President to run for vice president in 2022.
Roque reiterated that Duterte is still leaving it to God on whether he will run for vice president or not.
He said if the President gets a “message from God” and he thinks it is God’s will for him to run, he will make the proper announcement in due course.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo last week said the President is open to the idea of running for vice president and he might consider it if he sees a strong clamor for him to do so.
LACSON-SOTTO TANDEM?
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he is open to running for vice president next year, or he might just retire after finishing two consecutive terms as senator.
“I have to admit I’m thinking about it unlike other politicians who say they’re not running but on the day of registration, nangunguna (are leading),” said the 73-year-old Senate president.
Sotto said he will decide to run if the vice president will be given challenging tasks like leading the fight against illegal drugs rather than be just a “spare tire” to the President.
When asked who is he eyeing to be his running mate, Sotto said he prefers Sen. Panfilo Lacson since “I know what he can do for the country.”
“First of all, I’m still considering it. If I do consider it, the number one on my list would be Senator Lacson, I know his capabilities. I know what he can do for the country. If he runs for president, I will support him,” he added.
He said he will come up with the final decision “by the third quarter of the year.
In a statement, Sotto said he started considering seeking higher office after “several people and even numerous people have been approaching and asking me to consider running for higher office.”
But Sotto said now is still not the right time to talk of politics as the Senate has a lot of measures that need to be passed before Congress goes on sine die adjournment on June 5.
Sotto ranked third among the preferred vice presidential candidates for next year’s elections, based on a December 2020 survey released by Pulse Asia. He was behind Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte
Lacson earlier said he keeping the door open to the possibility of another presidential run next year. He first ran as president during the 2004 elections. He placed third behind Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the late Fernando Poe Jr.
FOCUS
Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, former party president, asked his party mates to focus on the government’s priorities in the fight against the pandemic.
Pimentel said any internal issues can be discussed among party mates some other time.
“We are still rushing priority bills of the administration and yet we are being distracted at the same time by PDP-Laban internal party issues which could and should wait. We should know what to prioritize during this pandemic,” he said.
Pimentel did not attend yesterday’s meeting because, he said, the Senate is busy with measures that need to be passed.
Pacquiao is rumored to be running for president in next year’s polls.
Ronwald Munsayac, PDP-Laban executive director, said Pacquiao intends to call for a national assembly “but the best month to do the assembly is close to filing of candidacy” which starts in October.
Pacquiao has begun criticizing Duterte. Recently, he expressed dismay over Duterte’s alleged defeatist stance on the country’s territorial dispute with China.
In return, PDP-Laban’s Bulacan chapter slammed Munsayac for defending Pacquiao over his criticisms.
