Provincial governors on Friday, August 27, threw their support for President Duterte’s decision to accept the offer of the administration Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) party to run for vice president in the 2022 elections.
In a statement released by the PDP-Laban faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonsi Cusi, 41 governors said that as vice president, ‘’President Duterte could influence his successor to pursue his war on drugs, his Build, Build, Build infrastructure plan, projects for the poor, and his post-COVID 19 pandemic economic recovery roadmap, among other programs.’’
‘’Despite the inroads in the campaign against illegal drugs, the drug menace continues to persist. Indeed, this problem is no longer confined to urban areas; it has spread to the countryside. The next administration, with the help of President Duterte, should relentlessly pursue the war on drugs,’’ they added.
‘’We, provincial governors, are witness to the gains of the Build, Build, Build program. New road networks, school buildings, airports, seaports, medical facilities, and river protection and drainage systems have mushroomed in the provinces, generating economic activities, jobs and income for our people. We have to continue building and improving infrastructure to speed up urban and rural development,’’ they further said.
‘’The nation was on a high economic growth path until the pandemic struck in early 2020. It’s unfortunate that Covid-19 derailed economic progress. But with President Duterte’s guiding hand, the next leadership could do it. The President’s war on drugs, his campaign against corruption, his prudent use of government resources, and his incessant pursuit of good governance will all contribute to a post-pandemic environment conducive for faster economic growth,’’ they pointed out.
‘’We hope and pray that the next President and President Duterte as his Vice President could work together in making life better for our people,’’ they said.
Two of the 41 provincial governors are Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar and Jose Alvarez of Palawan..