The vice presidential bid of Presidential Duterte in 2022 is on again as he is now “clear” on what he would do, his spokesman Harry Roque said yesterday.
“As of 5:46 kahapon po (Wednesday) ng hapon, ito po ang huling mensahe ng Presidente tungkol sa issue ng politika: Things are clear now, I will run as vice president [As of 5:46 yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon this is the last message of the President about politics: Things are clear now, I will run for vice president],” Roque said in a press briefing.
He said the pronouncement of the President was based on a statement issued by his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, that he and Sen. Christopher Go should just owe up to their decision to run for vice president and president, respectively and to make it public.
“I think, among others, the statement (of Duterte-Carpio) was the basis for the President to conclude that things are clear now. That he can run for vice president, because I think his perception is that Mayor Sara Duterte will not run for elections,” Roque said.
Carpio-Duterte, in a social media post on Wednesday, said her father informed her he wants to run for vice president with Go as president, and she told him he and Go should “own up” to their decision to run and stop using her as their reason to run or not.
She issued the statement after Roque and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Wednesday said Duterte is running for the second highest position in the country if his daughter is not running for president.
This was the supposed message of the President during the “Talk to the People” address on Tuesday night but it was not included in the speech that was aired in government stations.
Nograles, who first disclosed Duterte’s decision on Tuesday, said the President initially told some officials of the ruling party PDP-Laban in a meeting last Monday that he is accepting the party’s nomination for him to run as vice president. The nomination will be formalized during the PDP-Laban’s convention on September 8.
Nograles and Roque said due to Duterte’s sense of delicadeza, the President said only one Duterte should run in 2022.
Roque said yesterday, “Since only one Duterte will run, and in his perception (is) Mayor Sara will not run, then he can run for vice president. But, you know, nothing is final until October,” said Roque in mixed English and Filipino, referring to the date for the filing of certificate of candidacy.
Roque also said the public should allow Duterte and Sara “breathing space” to discuss a “a family matter.”
Despite the “clear” stand of the President, Roque said Duterte still intends to keep his promise to support House majority leader Martin Romualdez in case he decides to run for the same post.
He said that the President is a man of his word, but there is no indication that Romualdez would run for vice president.
