Opposition coalition 1Sambayan doesn’t believe that the “Davao formula” will work in the national arena, saying that Filipinos will reject a Duterte-Duterte administration come 2022.
Lawyer Howard Calleja, one of the convenors of 1Sambayan, said the Duterte-Duterte tandem will be rejected by the voters.
“We feel that this is an insult to the Filipino people and we feel that whatever happens, we trust the Filipino people will see this as a selfish move. Nothing to the benefit of the people, but only to perpetuate power to one family,” he said during a recent guesting on ABS-CBN’s “After The Fact.”
1Sambayan is a coalition formed by former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, to form a united opposition that will go against the administration’s bets for the 2022 polls.
Calleja noted that the possible candidacy of President Duterte to the vice presidency next year is “unconstitutional.”
READ: 1Sambayan on Duterte for VP in 2022: ‘Joke of the worst kind’
“It goes against the letter, intent, and the spirit of the Constitution. And not only that, (but) it also violates, especially if Mayor Sara will run as well, then it violates as well the basic constitutional prohibition against political dynasty to the very hill because it is a dynasty to the national level,” he stressed.
Calling it the “Davao formula,” the lawyer said this won’t work in national politics.
The Dutertes have held power in Davao, a province in the southern Philippines, since the late 1980s after the collapse of the Marcos dictatorship.
Calleja asked if this is PDP-Laban’s, the ruling political party, best bets.
READ: PDP-Laban adopts resolution urging Duterte to seek VP seat in May 2022 polls
“Wala na bang iba? Ang ibig sabihin lang nito ‘yung PDP-Laban wala na sila ibang maihaharap sa Pilipino (Is there no one else? It means that this PDP-Laban has no one else to offer to Filipinos),” he said, adding that the political party’s offer to Filipinos are the same failed resources, platforms, and governance that the country had for the past five years.
“So, do we want more of that? We, in 1Sambayan, gave a resounding no. We want a roadmap to recovery from the pandemic, recovery from our economic woes, a president that would fight or leaders that would fight for the Philippines and Filipino people rather than protect China and Chinese interest.”