Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque welcomed the reports that President Duterte is now considering running for Senate in the 2022 elections despite his announcement last month that he will retire from politics.
Roque made the statement after Duterte's long-time aide Senator Bong Go, who is running for vice president in the 2022 polls, said that the President is now toying with the idea of joining the Senate, a body that Duterte has been lambasting over the past few months.
In his press briefing on Friday, November 5, Roque said nothing is final but the report was certainly a "positive development."
"As far as I know, wala pa pong pinal na desisyon (there is no final decision yet). But as Senator Bong Go said, he is considering it," he said.
"Yung posibilidad na tatakbo rin po si Presidente para senador, 'yan po ay isang positive development as far as my own candidacy is concerned dahil patuloy pa rin po kaming magkakasama ni Presidente sa kampanya (The possibility of the President running for Senate is a positive development as far as my own candidacy is concerned because it would mean we will continue to be together during the campaign)," he added.
Both President Duterte and Secretary Roque did not file their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for any position for the 2022 elections despite their earlier statements to run for vice president and senator, respectively.
Duterte surprised the public last month when it was Go who filed a COC for vice president. The President likewise announced his decision to retire from politics.
The President had expressed previously his intention to run for vice president because of his love for the country and he would like to continue his programs.
Roque, on the other hand, did not file his COC after Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio refused to give in to calls to run for president. Roque had said that he will only run if Carpio runs for the highest seat in government.
Recently, Roque said that he might run for Senate after all following protests in New York against his nomination to the International Law Commission.