THE Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party will support presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio if she decides to run for president in the 2022 national elections, majority leader Martin Romualdez said yesterday.
Romualdez, Lakas president, issued the statement after the party decided to renew its alliance agreement with the mayor’s regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), with the end in view of building a multi-party coalition in the run-up to the 2022 national elections.
“If Mayor Sara Duterte decides to seek higher office for 2022, we are ready to work for her victory in the coming election,” said Romualdez, whose name was recently floated by President Duterte as a vice presidential candidate.
Duterte-Carpio has yet to announce if she is gunning for the presidency, a job which her father said last January is not for women. But Albay Rep. Joey Salceda last month said the President’s daughter will run for President in 2022.
Duterte-Carpio daughter thanked Lakas for the party’s “unconditional support.”
She said she is not privy to the discussions but is aware that HNP officers are in talks with several “highly placed” national officials regarding the 2022 elections.
“I was told that the meetings are about my candidacy for the presidential race in 2022. I was assured that everyone involved in these talks will respect my decision if I decide against running for president,” she said in a statement.
Last Monday, the ruling Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) chaired by the President said it could adopt a presidential candidate who is not a member of the party, like the younger Duterte, because it is not unusual for political parties to support individuals from other parties.
In a national executive meeting held yesterday afternoon, top Lakas-CMD officials unanimously adopted a resolution authorizing Romualdez to sign the renewal of their alliance agreement with the HNP for the 2022 national and local elections that would bind the two parties to support whoever they decide to field as candidate for president and vice president.
“Lakas-CMD believes that Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) shares the same vision of a strong Republic through the sustainable economic growth and development of the regions,” the resolution said.
The Lakas-CMD first signed an alliance agreement with HNP in November 2018, which paved the way for their partnership in the 2019 national and local elections.
Romualdez also called on other political parties to ally with Lakas “and be part of our mission to form a broad multi-party coalition anchored on shared principles.”
“We need coalition partners that share the same vision of building a strong Republic through sustainable growth and development of the regions,” he said.
Romualdez said he is still contemplating running for vice president, especially since he also has the option to seek re-election as representative of the first district of Leyte.
“Well, I’m thoroughly thinking about it. We are very much in deep consideration of this opportunity to vie for the second highest position in the land,” Romualdez said, stressing that the decision would be reached after consultations with his constituents and with his party members.
Duterte recently said his supporters’ call for him to seek the vice presidency next year is a “good idea” but he intends to keep his promise to Romualdez to support the lawmaker if he decides to run for vice president.
SENATE RUN
Sorsogon Gov. Francis “Chiz” Escudero confirmed he will run for a Senate seat next year under his party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).
He said he would would focus on giving more autonomy to local government units when he returns to the Senate.
Escudero ran for the vice presidency in 2016 alongside Sen. Grace Poe but he ended fourth in the vice presidential race. He was senator from 2007 to 2019, and then ran and won the gubernatorial race in the province. He served as member of the House of Representatives from 1998 to 2007 representing Sorsogon’s first district.
Though he is consistently topping preferential surveys, Escudero said it is no reason to be complacent in next year’s polls.
“There are 10 re-electionists, unless they are running for higher office, and you’re looking at eight to 12 former senators who intend to go back to the Senate and about five to eight Cabinet secretaries, including incumbent secretaries, who intend to run as well. We are not even counting showbiz personalities and other known personalities,” he said.
Escudero said he hopes to use his experience in local governance to strengthen legislation that will give local government units more autonomy, and measures to help the country recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Legislating and executing laws are two different things,” he said.
Earlier, Senate President and NPC acting chair Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said Escudero and another former NPC senator, Loren Legarda, will run for the Senate next year.
Legarda currently serves as House deputy speaker and the representative of the lone district of Antique. — With Ashzel Hachero
