On Monday, the PDP-Laban national council accepted a resolution asking President Rodrigo Duterte to run for vice president in Election 2022. He will also choose who he wants to be the party’s candidate in the presidential election.
According to PDP-Laban, vice president for external affairs Raul Lambino, the party received the resolution from other regions, local government units, and party chapters, who want Duterte to run as the vice president whose term as president will end next year.
Earlier, President Harry Roque said that Duterte would run as vice president based on God’s message.
Meanwhile, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said Duterte should be the running mate of his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, whose name is included in emerging surveys that could run for president in 2022.
In March, a resolution first surfaced to encourage senior Duterte to run for vice president in Election 2022.
According to Hose Deputy Speaker Eric Martinez, a party official, they want the administration to continue the programs it has started in the country.
Some PDP-Laban officials want Duterte to run for VP in Election 2022
However, Senator Manny Pacquiao, acting president of PDP-Laban, said that the party leadership did not authorize the resolution because they wanted to put politics aside first and focus on the COVID-19 pandemic problem.
Meanwhile, Malacañang said President Rodrigo Duterte, chairman PDP-Laban party on Monday, skipped the meeting of his party in Cebu because of a full schedule.
Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte has matters to attend to, including the COVID-19 pandemic policies.
“While he is the chairman of the party, hindi naman puwede diktahan ni Presidente ang partido [the President cannot dictate on the party],” Roque said in a press briefing.
“He (President) signed a memo authorizing Secretary [Alfonso] Cusi to call the meeting today, and he made me announce it yesterday. He has a full schedule in the Palace this afternoon. He is fully booked,” Roque added.
This is followed by PDP-Laban President and Senator Manny Pacquiao’s call to ignore Cusi’s call for a party meeting.
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