Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Wednesday, Nov. 3, said that she will prioritize the city's COVID-19 response rather than doing an early campaign for the 2022 elections.
"I'm still working on this pandemic. This is still, for me, the center of my leadership at the moment", Belmonte told the ANC when asked about her views on electoral campaigns.
"In fact, I've find it premature all of this early campaigning, because the actual campaign period is still next year and there is so much work to do," she added.
According to Belmonte, every politician would like to get the support of the people but as the current leader, she will not sacrifice her job especially during this time of the pandemic.
"I'd like to think that I have a solid performance to back me up for the past two and a half years that could help me convince the people that it's probably worthwhile for them to still believe in me for the next couple of years," the mayor added.
Meanwhile, Belmonte said that her team, Serbisyo sa Bayan Party (SBP), is yet to discuss if they are going to endorse a presidential candidate.
"For me, the fact that the filing has just happened and the candidates are just about to present their platforms of governance, I would very much to like to listen to what everybody has to say first before I make a personal choice and perhaps endorse that particular candidate as well to the rest of my party, " Belmonte said.
"Kailangan natin talaga ng isang taong magmamalasakit sa ating bansa ngayon na kailangan natin bumangon mula sa pandemiya (We need someone who cares about our country now that we need to rise from the pandemic)," she added.