Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio yesterday challenged her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go to publicly own up to their decision to run as a tandem in the 2022 national elections, saying she refused to be a “political punching bag for a party in complete disarray.”
“If they can confirm it privately, then I do not see the reason why they cannot be candid about it to the public,” the mayor said.
“They should simply present to the people what they can offer to our country and how they can help our fellow Filipinos.”
Duterte-Carpio also revealed she respectfully advised them to stop talking about her and make her the reason for them running or not.
She insisted that she is not a “last-two-minutes” person, a reference to how easily she could be made to substitute as a presidential candidate in the 2022 polls, something her father did in 2016.
“I think, I organize, and I implement accordingly. In the meantime, I refuse to be a political punching bag for a party in complete disarray,” she said, referring to the ruling PDP-Laban.
In a statement, Duterte-Carpio said her father confirmed to her personally his decision to run as vice president next year, with Go running for president.
She also described as “unpleasant” the two options presented to her: endorse the Go-Duterte tandem or run for president next year, with Go as her vice president.
“I was left with two letters endorsed to me by the President for consideration—one note explained why I should endorse the Go-Duterte tandem, and the other suggested that I take Senator Go as my vice president,” she said.
The PDP-Laban faction of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi had been pushing a Duterte-Duterte ticket for next year, triggering a split with members who backed Senator Manny Pacquiao.
The Cusi camp has also floated Go’s name.
Go, an aide of President Duterte for more than 20 years, publicly maintained he was not interested in running for president. With AFP
The Davao mayor, who has been leading pre-election surveys for president and vice president, issued the statement after President Duterte said in a speech Tuesday night that he would not run as vice president if the Davao City mayor runs for president.
But in the same speech, Duterte said he would run for the vice president, which confirmed an earlier announcement by the Cusi faction of the PDP-Laban.
Critics viewed the President’s announcement as a smokescreen driven by the fear of criminal charges.
Duterte, who was elected in 2016 and is barred under the Constitution from seeking another term, had previously flagged the possibility of contesting the country’s second-highest office.
“I will run for vice president,” Duterte said late Tuesday in a pre-recorded speech, confirming an earlier announcement by his PDP-Laban party that he had agreed to contest the position.
“Then I will continue the crusade. I’m worried about the drugs, insurgency — well, number one is insurgency, then criminality, drugs. I may not have the power to give direction or guidance, but I can always express my views in public.”
Since taking power, Duterte has waged a bloody campaign against drug users and dealers that rights groups estimate has killed tens of thousands of people.
International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors are seeking to launch a full-blown investigation into the killings.
Communist rebels and their alleged supporters also have been targeted as Duterte sought to bring an end to the decades-old insurgency.
The pro-Pacquiao faction in the PDP-Laban said a Go-Duterte ticket was a “smokescreen” to protect Duterte’s daughter, Sara — who is widely expected to run for the presidency – from political attacks.
The Supreme Court previously ruled that a sitting president enjoyed legal immunity. But there is debate over whether such protection could extend to the vice president.
If either Sara Duterte or Go were to win, they could shield Duterte from criminal charges.
Recent polls show Sara, who belongs to a different party than her father, with the most voter support among potential candidates that include Pacquiao.
The vice president and president are elected separately in the Philippines, with the former assuming the top job if the latter dies, becomes incapacitated, or resigns.
In comments edited out of the recording of Tuesday’s speech, Duterte said he and Go would withdraw from the race if Sara runs for the top job, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Wednesday.
1Sambayan, a broad coalition of opposition figures, said Duterte’s declaration made a “mockery” of the Constitution.
“Obviously, this is driven by fear of accountability both from the ICC and from our own justice system,” the group said on Facebook.
A sitting president has never before made a bid for the vice presidency in the Philippines.
The deadline for registering as a candidate for next year’s elections is Oct. 8.
Eurasia Group analyst Peter Mumford said there would “likely be further twists and turns before the final 2022 candidates are confirmed.”
“I think Duterte and his associates are still working out which is the best combination… for the election and Duterte as vice president is the ultimate backstop for now,” he said.
Ron Munsayac, executive director of the Pacquiao faction noted it is impossible that Go, the right hand of the President, will go against his boss’ daughter.
This tandem, Munsayac said, is merely a distraction to shield their “real” candidate from political attacks and to weaken the PDP Laban with this decoy candidacy.
He said the Go-Duterte tandem can officially withdraw from the presidential and vice presidential race at any time from the time of filing of certificates of candidacy up to noontime of election day in order not to be officially considered to have lost the election.
He said they can then issue very clear and firm orders to their campaign machinery and supporters to vote for Sara Duterte as President instead of him.
“It’s just sad that the PDP-Laban, a party founded to fight against tyranny, dictatorship, and one-family rule is being used by a handful of political appointees to extend their hold on power.
“The grassroots members of the party will not allow this to happen,” Munsayac said.
Munsayac also dismissed five names being floated to form part of the PDP Laban senatorial slate, saying they were not even party members.
“So how can they be our candidates for the Senate?” he said.
Based on a statement issued on Tuesday by the Cusi camp, the initial list of their senatorial candidates included House Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, and Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar.
“It’s pretty obvious that our new members who hijacked the PDP Laban aren’t aware of the party’s principles and processes,” he said.
Senator Risa Hontiveros said every party has its own process of candidate nomination.
“But it seems some gatekeepers in PDP-Laban have turned Ka Nene’s original party into a “zombie” institution which is only performing rituals empty of substance and principle. This development is an even more grotesque version of Shake, Rattle, and Roll,” she said.
She recalled that President Duterte started his presidential run with a whole lot of drama.
“And it looks like he will be leaving us the same way–trying to confuse us, and all the more in search of a true leader.
In any case, she said it is still early in the day. “Perhaps, by midnight the President would have changed his mind at least four to five times,” she said.
Meanwhile, the PDP-Laban faction led by party stalwart Senator Aquilino Pimentel III is eyeing the nomination of Pacquiao as their standard bearer next year.
In a Dobol B TV interview on Wednesday, Pimentel said their faction has a “preliminary list” of presidential candidates consisting of only one name—Pacquiao’s.
He said their faction will nominate Pacquiao during their national assembly tentatively set on Sept.18.
He said it would be up to the group’s presidential bet to choose who will be his running mate and senatorial candidates. With AFP