Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Sarte-Salceda on Thursday, June 3, disclosed that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte will be gunning for the presidency in 2022.
Citing text exchanges with President Duterte’s daughter, Salceda said the city mayor will run for president next year. The mayor is the chairperson of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago, a political coalition.
The senior administration lawmaker had previously aired this claim to members of the House media, claiming that the young Duterte spilled the beans on her 2022 political plans in a text message he received on May 22.
In the past two days, Salceda has been telling various news media organizations to reveal reasons why he is convinced that the text messages he received meant Mayor Duterte will run for president. There are also speculations in the Lower House that Salceda is among the congressmen who will be eyeing a Senate seat in the 2022 polls.
In one text message sent to Salceda, Mayor Duterte reportedly said: “True that, I make things happen just by sheer grit and determination but I do not have the level of intellectual brilliance as yours so I am honored to have you on my side because I am only as good as the friends I keep. I will shine because I am under your light.” Salceda said this is enough reason for him to surmise that the Davao City chief executive will run.
“Because it can easily be construed by any ordinary person... I can’t be on her side in Davao. Common sense,” he said when asked by a House reporter which part of the mayor’s message said she was running.
In a press statement released on May 22, Salceda said: “In our exchange of texts with Mayor Inday Sara, she left no doubt that she has crossed the Rubicon, it is 100% certain that she is running in 2022.” “She did not have to agonize over it because she knows she is capable. She is both tough and right. If ever she needs help, she can count on my friendship and loyal advice,” said Salceda.
However, a former official of the Lakas-CMD party commented that loyalty may not be Salceda’s strongest suit.
The party official recalled that during the 2010 Lakas-CMD presidential campaign, Salceda went the news media to air his support for Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, then the party standard bearer.
The following day, the former Albay governor issued a press statement that he has joined the camp of Teodoro’s rival, Liberal Party’s Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who eventually won the presidential race.