PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to run for senator is not related to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into the killings linked to his anti-narcotics crackdown, according to Malacañang.
“Wala namang kinalaman sa ICC case ‘yung decision ni Pangulong Duterte na tumakbo bilang senador (The ICC case has nothing to do with President Duterte’s senatorial run),” Acting spokesman and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Tuesday, November 16, during an online press briefing.
Nograles stressed that Duterte just wants to continue serving the Filipino people long after his term as President is over.
“Ang pagtakbo ni Pangulong Duterte as senator ay dahil gusto niyang magpatuloy ng kanyang serbisyo sa taong bayan (Duterte wanted to run for senator because he wants to continue serving the people),” he said.
“He believes in his heart that he still can contribute to public service, no longer as President but now as senator if he wins in the national elections of 2022,” he added.
Nograles further reiterated that Duterte is not running for senator to evade the ICC’s probe.
“Wala pong pag-e-evade ng prosecution ito at lahat ng mga batikos na narinig po natin ay wala pong katotohanan ang lahat ng akusasyon na ‘yan (There is no need to evade prosecution because all of the accusations are not true),” he stressed.
According to Nograles, Duterte can contribute a lot in the Senate.
“Ako po’y naniniwala na magiging malaki ang kontribusyon ni Pangulong Duterte sa Senado (I believe that President Duterte will have a huge contribution in the Senate),” he said.
On Monday, Nov. 15, Duterte filed his candidacy for senator via a representative.
The decision came after his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio announced that she was running for vice president in the 2022 national elections under Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD).
Meanwhile, Duterte will run under Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS), replacing Mona Liza Visorde, who withdrew her COC for senator. n
