President Rodrigo Duterte is seriously thinking of running for vice president in the forthcoming 2022 national elections when his six-year term as chief executive under the 1987 Constitution expires.
“To the proposition that I run for vice president, I think I’m sold to the idea. Meaning to say, I’m seriously thinking of running for vice president,” Duterte said during his meeting with PDP-Laban party mates on Tuesday night.
Duterte is being urged by his partymates to seek the second-highest elected post in the country.
House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said Wednesday that if it were possible to do so, the members of the ruling party would want to extend his term as President.
“The way I see it, our party members are not saying it, but in their hearts, if your term as President could be extended, it would be better to extend it,” he told Duterte during the meeting televised by PTV-4 on Wednesday.
“I guess that’s really not possible right now. The 2022 elections are near. I guess I can speak for everyone in that just give us the instructions and we will obey,” the Speaker added.
Velasco said he is determined to push for a vice presidential bid for Duterte in 2022.
“At end of the day, Mr. President, we are really looking for continuity. Please direct us so that as early as now, we can already move, and we can already try to rally the troops so we can achieve continuity in 2022,” he added.
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa agreed, likening the President to a doctor taking care of a patient.
“I see the Philippines as a patient who is healing because of Doctor Duterte. Your decision to run for Vice President is very timely,” said dela Rosa.
“Even if you are not the main doctor of the patient, you will be acting as assistant doctor and you will still have a huge role in the patient’s healing,” the former national police chief added.
Duterte had said he might run for vice president “if there is a space for me.”
The President said he is considering calls for him to run for vice president and continue his government programs.
“If I run for vice president, which you want me to do also, maybe I will,” Duterte said.
However, Duterte said he did not want to make any promises when he should run for the second highest post in the country, saying “no housing promises or anything. We just address the present agony and sorrow of the Filipino.”
During the meeting with his party mates, PDP-Laban vice chairman and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi presented the party resolution urging Duterte to run for vice president.
The tough-talking President said he was “touched” by the sentiment expressed by the PDP-Laban members.
Last week, Duterte hinted he could become the vice-presidential candidate in the upcoming elections “to maintain equilibrium.”
While he is open to the proposal to run for vice president, he previously said he would support House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez if the lawmaker decided to pursue the second-highest government post.
Meanwhile, Romualdez welcomed the announcement of the National Unity Party to renew its alliance with regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago for 2022 presidential polls, saying the alliance would boost Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s “winnability” if she would run for president.
At the same time, Romualdez, representative of Leyte’s First District, was elated over the confirmation of NUP Secretary General Reggie Velasco to join the soon-to-be-formed alliance of political parties under HNP leadership for next year’s elections.
“The decision of the National Unity Party to renew its alliance with Hugpong ng Pagbabago of Mayor Sara Duterte is a welcome development. This will help boost further the electoral chances of whoever is chosen by HNP to be their candidate for President or Vice President in the 2022 national polls,” Romualdez, president of the Lakas-CMD, said in a statement.
HNP Secretary General and former Davao del Norte Gov. Anthony del Rosario said four other major political parties will join the coalition after Lakas-CMD came out in the open last month to renew its alliance with the regional party.
“Our party, the Lakas-CMD, has already made the clarion call for other political parties to link arms and form a new coalition that will support Mayor Sara if ever she decides to run for President in the coming elections. With NUP on board, we believe the new coalition is fast taking shape and may turn into reality sooner than expected,” Romualdez said.
Aside from NUP, Del Rosario also bared that Nacionalista Party, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, and People’s Reform Party will join the early bird Lakas-CMD in the coalition under HNP.
“Those are the five parties that have signified their interest to join this so-called coalition we’re building,” according to Del Rosario, who also said that HNP will choose the presidential and vice presidential candidates under the soon to be renewed alliance.
“As for the moment, everything is on hold because there has to be a memorandum of agreement between and among all parties. Currently, each party is reviewing the document and we’re still trying to come up with an agreement that is acceptable to all parties,” del Rosario added.
On Monday, Romualdez said the Lakas-CMD will support the presidential and vice presidential candidates to be chosen by the HNP.
“The Lakas-CMD will extend its full and unqualified support not only to the presidential candidate to be selected by Mayor Sara Duterte’s HNP, but also to its chosen vice-presidential candidate,” Romualdez said.
The PRP, a party founded by former Senator Miriam Santiago, said in a press statement it “will give its full support to the presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio if she decides to run for President in the 2022 national elections.”
“The PRP and the HNP share many things in common. The programs of government of both parties focus on reforms, discipline, leadership, and fighting corruption in government,” said PRP president Narcisco Santiago Jr., the late senator’s husband.