Romualdez open to tandem with Sara

MANILA, Philippines — With an endorsement from President Duterte, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez said he is open to running for vice president, with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte as administration standard-bearer in next year’s elections.

“We haven’t made any final decisions yet, but we will consider all candidates,” Romualdez said at an online press conference Thursday afternoon, when asked about their possible tandem.

The Leyte congressman is the national president of the once-dominant and now re-emerging Lakas-CMD party.

He said Lakas-CMD is allied with the Davao City mayor’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) regional party and that they are “looking forward to strengthening” their alliance for the 2022 elections.

Still, Romualdez said he does not want to preempt Mayor Duterte, who has yet to decide whether to join the presidential race.

“First and foremost, we don’t want to preempt Mayor Inday because she has yet to make her final decision on the matter. But definitely Inday Sara, her brand of leadership, is really qualified for a national post. But we don’t want to preempt, so that question may be premature,” he explained.

He was asked if such possibility would not create a conflict with his cousin, former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., also reportedly being eyed as runningmate of Mayor Duterte.

“I don’t foresee any conflict as what you’re anticipating. Because you know that all conflicts, problems, as long as we face them, and we talk about them, we will be able to solve the problem before it arises,” he pointed out.

Romualdez also confirmed that he and Marcos had a meeting with former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo earlier this week and discussed the 2022 polls.

With them at the meeting on June 14 in the residence of the former president were Sen. Imee Marcos and Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo.

“Senator Imee was asking for some advice, and then there were exchanges, updating as to what are the plans of everyone there. It was just another get-together; catching up and exchanges of ideas. And I guess soliciting some advice,” Romualdez revealed.

The ranking lawmaker made the statement after President Duterte said he would not run for vice president – despite being pushed by PDP-Laban party officials – and instead support Romualdez.

“If you run for vice president, I will support you. And I will hold on to that commitment,” the Chief Executive said last Wednesday, referring to Romualdez.

Romualdez was among those who flew to Davao recently to personally greet Mayor Duterte on her birthday.

Meanwhile, the camp of former defense chief Gilbert Teodoro Jr. is unfazed by the President’s public endorsement of Romualdez for the vice presidential post.

Teodoro’s spokesman, former Camarines Sur congressman Rolando Andaya Jr., dismissed the endorsement as a mere “promise” that is already “outdated.”

Andaya said the President was only keeping his word of honor after he committed to support Romualdez in the vice presidential race in settling the three-way speakership battle with Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and former speaker Alan Peter Cayetano in 2019.

He stressed that Duterte made such promise to Romualdez before his daughter emerged as a strong presidential contender.

“Things have changed dramatically. Sara wasn’t even in the picture at that time. So obviously, in other words, that promise is outdated,” he explained in an interview with House reporters via Zoom.

“Probably, President Duterte is just showing that he’s a man of his word. But deep down he knows that’s not what Sara wants,” Andaya claimed.

Andaya, who has been pushing for Mayor Duterte-Teodoro tandem for next year’s presidential election, said Teodoro is set to again fly to Davao on July 3 and meet the mayor to get his second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.

He earlier claimed that the tandem was a “done deal,” but Teodoro and Mayor Duterte denied this, saying nothing was final yet.