Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Thursday, Sept. 9 confirmed that she will no longer run for president next year amid the declaration of the PDP-Laban party that her father, President Rodrigo Duterte will be its vice presidential candidate in 2022.
However, this statement by the presidential daughter had a tinge of ambivalence as she admitted that there is a “Plan B”, which is for Senator Christopher “Bong” Go to take the president’s place as vice presidential candidate.
On Wednesday, PDP-Laban proclaimed Go and Duterte as its presidential and vice presidential bet for the 2022 national elections.
“Yes, I am not running for a national position as we both agreed only one of us will run for a national position in 2022,” said Mayor Duterte in reaction to a text query from reporters.
“It (nomination of the chief executive) does not affect any of my plans but as we both agreed only one from the family will run for a national position,” she stated.
However, in response to Go’s “positioning: on his nomination as standard bearer of the PDP-Laban, the local chief executive admitted that there is a “Plan B.”
“From the last time PRRD (President Duterte) and I talked this was their Plan A,” Mayor Duterte said referring to the PDP-Laban proclamation.
She said: “The Plan B was for SBG to run as VP.”
Mayor Duterte was also asked to comment on the PDP-Laban’s decision during its national convention in San Fernando, Pampanga on Wednesday.
“I think it turned out the way the Cusi faction wanted it to go down,” the HNP chairperson said.
The Davao City mayor had declared in the past that while she remains undecided on a presidential run, she made it clear that she will not seek the highest office in the land if her father will run for vice president.
A consistent top placer in numerous poll surveys for president, the presidential daughter has also revealed that six political leaders in the country have either approached her or were endorsed to be her vice presidential partner in case she runs for president.
They are Senators Juan Edgardo “Sonny”Angara, Sherwin Gatchalian and Go; House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez; former Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro, and former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.