Free Legal Assistance Group chairperson Chel Diokno has confirmed that he will run for the upcoming elections next year.
However, he has not yet said for what position. It will be recalled that he is on the shortlist of the 1Sambayan opposition coalition that is trying to run for the presidency or vice presidency in 2022.
“Yes, to be clear: I will run in 2022. It’s difficult now to make a final decision about what position, and I never aspired for President or VP, which 1Sambayan has nominated me for,” Chel Diokno said on Wednesday.
In 2019, Diokno ran for the senate under the Otso Diretso opposition, which was made up of critics of President Rodrigo Duterte. Unfortunately, none of them won.
“Our justice system is not gonna get fixed unless people in power see the problem and do something about it,” Chel Diokno added.
“I’ve been a lawyer for three decades, everyday I work on my Free Legal Helpdesk, and I’ve seen it firsthand. I know how we should fix our justice system.”
Chel Diokno to run in 2022 elections
UP political science Prof Rogelio Alicor Panao said that 1Sambayan must leap into being “anti-Duterte only” if they want to win in 2022. He said pushing for meaningful policies is what they must do now.
UP Prof. Herman Kraft, who chairs both departments, said: “The obvious lesson from then was that the Otso Diretso campaigned on a message that was really about opposing President Duterte. President Duterte did not run. Again, this would be the same scenario in the next elections.”
According to Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, president of the Liberal Party, Duterte’s critics must unite with one opposition candidate if the administration is to be overthrown.
On the administration side, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that some of Digong’s current choices to replace him are Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, Sen. Manny Pacquiao, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, Sen. Christopher Go, and former Sen. Bongbong Marcos.
The PDP-Laban ruling is still convincing Digong to run for vice in 2022.
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