Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte reiterated that she has no plans to run for president in the 2022 elections so she asked her supporters to stop putting up the “Run Sara Run” poster.
“Sa ngayon, no. There is no chance na magbago ang isip ko. Anong mga rason ko? I do not want to enumerate the reasons, hindi lang ito isa, marami, because hahaba ang usapan at baka maka-offend and may ma-hurt na mga tao,” Mayor Sara explained in Maki Pulido’s report to GMA News “24 Oras” this Wednesday.
“Nagpapasalamat ako sa trust at confidence nila sa akin,” she added.
Sara Duterte also asked her supporters to stop the gatherings and ordered that the hanging posters be removed.
In a recent survey conducted by OCTA Research on the preference of respondents who will be the next president of the country in 2022, Mayor Sara’s name leads.
Also among those who got high ratings were Senator Grace Poe and Manny Pacquiao, former Senator Bongbong Marcos, and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.
Among the next vice presidents to be elected, Mayor Sara also topped the list, followed by Mayor Isko and Pacquiao.
On Tuesday night, Mayor Sara’s father, President Rodrigo Duterte, said that his daughter will not run for president in 2022.
The president made the announcement after Surigao del Sur Governor Alexander “Ayec” Pimentel asked Pres. Duterte to persuade Mayor Sara Duterte or Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, his trusted aide, to take his place in 2022.
Sara Duterte maintains she will not run for president in 2022
“Inday Sara is not running. I have really, really put my foot down. Naawa ako sa anak. Ang pulitika nito, kababuyan,” Duterte said.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Wednesday that the “Run Sara Run” banners which urge Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to run in the 2022 elections did not violate any election laws.
“Technically, there is no violation because in order for premature campaigning to be committed there should be an official candidate,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez told ANC.
“And no official candidate exists right now. In fact, we are not even filing the certificate of candidacy yet. So, since there is no official candidate, there can be no crime or should we say offense of premature campaigning.”
Jimenez said the “Run Sara Run” banners were “a matter of free expression.”
“These people have the right to actually promote the candidacy of anyone that they want. They could put up a banner that says ‘Christian Run’ and it won’t make a difference because it’s a matter of free expression,” he said.