Malacañang said on Tuesday that six Cabinet members might file their certificate of candidacies in the following weeks.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the Cabinet members might quit their posts to prepare early for 2019 elections.
“From my last count, there will be around six who might file their certificate of candidacy for national and local posts,” Roque said during a Palace press briefing.
The Palace official, however, refused to name the six Cabinet members but noted that three of them wish to join the national elections and the other three are eyeing local positions.
Asked when he will file his own certificate of candidacy, Roque, a former Kabayan party-list representative, said he would still have to talk with the President.
“I do not know, honestly. I need to talk to him [Duterte], he’s my appointing authority. However I decide, I need to talk to the President,” he said.
The President has repeatedly floated the idea of his Cabinet secretaries seeking senatorial positions next year.
Aside from Roque, Duterte’s top referrals for senatorial candidates are his trusted aide Christopher “Bong” Go, and Presidential Political Adviser Francis Tolentino.
Duterte previously urged Filipinos to “choose the best” leaders running in the Senate, stressing that some incumbent senators are better off replaced for being noisy and arrogant.
He then promised to give the public a clean and peaceful 2019 midterm elections.
The Commission on Elections has set the filing of certificates of candidacy for the 2019 elections to Oct. 11 to 17.
