5 parties forming alliances to back Sara Duterte’s presidential run, lawmaker claims
MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker allied with the administration claimed Thursday that five political parties are already forming alliances to back Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s candidacy for president.
“From sources, I know that there are five political parties… in other words there are alliances being built around her candidacy,” Rep. Joey Salceda (Albay) told reporters.
Salceda, however, refused to name which parties are supposedly forming coalitions to back the possible presidential run of President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter.
The Albay lawmaker also claimed that there is “no doubt” that the younger Duterte would run for president, citing conversations he has had with her.
He did not say whether the Davao City mayor had categorically told him that she would run for president.
Previously, the president’s daughter easily denied that she would run for president, but this time around she had been keeping mum about her plans for next year’s elections.
Duterte-Duterte tandem unlikely?
While Salceda is pointing to a presidential run for the Davao City mayor, ruling party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino—Lakas ng Bayan is urging her father to run for vice president — igniting speculation that both Dutertes would run in tandem in 2022.
Salceda said that while he is among the PDP-Laban members who signed the resolution calling on the president to run for vice president, he thinks that it is unlikely he and his daughter would run in tandem.
“There should be a geographical balance so hindi masiyadong nako-concentrate ‘yong national resources geographically,” he said. “I think geographical balance is still necessary for her to win and necessary for good public policies in the terms of allocation of natural resources.”
For Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who is PDP-Laban’s vice chairman, a Duterte-Duterte tandem needs to be studied further.
“We can't answer whether it's good or not good at the moment. What we need to do is find out sino ba makakasulong sa pag-asenso ng mga mamamayan, ng bayan,” Cusi said.
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