Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said he will not run in the 2020 elections despite calls from the ruling party for him to join the Senate race.

According to Tugade, he decided not to file his certificate of candidacy (COC) for Senator due to "multiple reasons."
"One of which is by not filing my COC, I can emphasize that the efforts of the DOTr in finishing projects are not, in any way, in aid of election," Tugade said on his Facebook page, Saturday, Oct. 8.
"It is just in doing and completing what we sincerely and honestly think is good for the country, the people, and the sambayanan," he added.
Tugade was among the incumbent Cabinet officials included in the initial senatorial slate of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.
President Duterte has also been urging Tugade to run for Senate along with other Cabinet members Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, among others.
Meanwhile, the DOTr chief assured the public that he will continue to complete the ongoing projects of the Department.
"Tuloy ang trabaho sa pagtatapos ng proyekto. Maraming maraming salamat po sa tiwala, suporta at dasal. Sana po ay tuloy-tuloy ito hanggang matapos ang mga proyekto (We will continue to work to complete our projects. Thank you so much for the trust, support, and prayers. I hope this will continue until the projects are finished)," Tugade added.