The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi on Wednesday, August 25, maintained that President Duterte will be running for vice president in the May, 2022 elections.
Stalwarts of the PDP-Laban Cusi wing issued the statement after presidential spokesperson Harry Roque revealed that Duterte will not run for vice president in 2022 if his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, runs for president in next year’s polls.
Roque revealed in a televised interview that part of Duterte’s statement was edited out of the president’s broadcast after saying he is agreeing to be the vice presidential candidate of the ruling political party.
“The PDP-Laban statement was clear and unequivocal. No need to interpret, explain or supplement. Any extraneous statement and conclusion is non sequitur,” the party said in a statement.
In an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel, Melvin Matibag, secretary-general of PDP-Laban, said Roque’s disclosure is yet to be validated.
“As far as PDP-Laban is concerned, we’ve never heard the President saying those things. It has yet to be validated. Right now, what is sufficient is the President stating that he is accepting the endorsement of the national executive council for him to run as vice president,” Matibag said.
Matibag said the matter of the nomination of Senator Christopher “Bong” Go and Duterte as the presidential and vice presidential candidates of the party will be discussed in the upcoming national convention that will be held on September 8.
Duterte-Carpio has said that Go and her father are bent on running for president and vice president next year. Meanwhile, Go said his position regarding the matter has not changed.
“I am still not interested in running for President. And as I have said before, if Mayor Sara runs, I will support her,” Go said in a statement.
“I leave my fate to God, to the Dutertes—kung anoman ang desisyon nila Pangulong Duterte at Mayor Sara pagdating sa pulitika (whatever their decision is with regards to politics)—and to the Filipino people dahil sila po ang nagbigay sa akin ng pagkakataon na makapaglingkod sa kapwa at marating kung saan man po ako nandirito ngayon (because they are the ones who gave me the opportunity to do public service and reach this position where I am now),” Go said.