PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte may join his daughter’s party if he decides to run for the second-highest post in the country in the 2022 elections, according to Malacañang.
In a virtual press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said it’s possible for the Chief Executive to run for vice president under Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) party.
However, the spokesman maintained that Duterte has no final decision for next year’s elections yet.
“Anything is possible. In the first place hindi pa naman siguradong tatakbo ang Presidente (the president has not really decided if he will run for vice president next year). He’s seriously thinking about it,” Roque said Thursday, July 8.
His statement came after Duterte admitted he was “sold on the idea” of running for vice president.
“To the proposition that I run for vice president, medyo I’m (somehow) sold [on] the idea. I am seriously thinking of running for vice president,” Duterte said Monday, July 5, during his meeting with the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) officers.
He also said that the next Philippine president should be “a friend” that he can work with.
“But let me dwell into the reality of things: Kung tatakbo akong bise presidente, hindi ko kaibigan ‘yung maging presidente (If I run for vice president and the next president is not my friend), I would be reduced to inutility,” Duterte said.
“Ito ang dilemma ko (This is my dilemma). The president who will win must be a friend of mine whom I can work with,” he added.
Additionally, Duterte said that he won’t promise anything if he runs for vice president. Instead, he will address the Filipinos’ “present agony and sorrow.”
“If I run as vice president, which you want me to do so, maybe I will,” he said.
“But huwag na tayong mag-promise ng mga pabahay, lahat ganoon (let’s not make any promises of granting anything, like housing). We just address the present agony and sorrow of the Filipino,” he added.
Last week, Duterte told Filipinos they may “consider” him “a candidate” for the country’s second-highest office.
“Maybe at this time, you can say that maybe para (just) to maintain the equilibrium sa lahat (for all), consider me a candidate for the vice presidency at this time,” Duterte said July 1.
