MANILA, Philippines — A day after Sen. Bong Go dropped his vice presidential candidacy to instead run for president under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan, the Cusi-led faction of the ruling PDP-Laban says nothing has changed with the party's plans.
In a wave of withdrawals and substitutions, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio left her reelection bid to run for vice president under Lakas-CMD as a substitute candidate.
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa,PDP-Laban's supposed presidential candidate, also withdrew his bid, saying he was following party orders. He filed his candidacy for president also on party orders.
President Rodrigo Duterte will also be running for vice president, according to Presidential Communications Secretary MArtin Andanar.
In an open letter, Cusi, PDP-Laban president urged, partymates and supporters to stay the course. He said the PDP-Laban faction would call a national council meeting before the end of the year to discuss changes in the electoral landscape.
"We assure you that nothing has changed, our objective remains the same — victory in the coming national and local elections," the letter reads.
"We urge you to toe the party line and remain steadfast. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will personally lead our campaign and is committed to support all our candidates."
In a statement Saturday, lawyer Melvin Matibag, PDP-Laban secretary-general, said that Go chose to run under a different party because of the unresolved conflict between the two factions in PDP-Laban.
The PDP-Laban Cusi-wing has also formed an alliance with the PDDS, Matibag said.
President Duterte has just a day to finalize his candidacy via substitution before the deadline on Monday, November 15.
Duterte's support stays with Go
In a video posted on the pro-Duterte Banat By page, Duterte said he was surprised at his daughter's decision to run for vice president.
"I'm sure Sara's decision to run was the decision of Marcos," he said in Filipino, referring to the former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of the ousted dictator. Marcos is running for president and his party has "adopted" Mayor Duterte-Carpio as its vice-presidential candidate.
Duterte is now expected to go head-to-head with his daughter in the vice-presidential derby.
"I was confused why she was okay with just running for vice president when she was Number 1 in the surveys. Why run for vice president when you know you are leading?"
Duterte on Saturday also claimed it was him who convinced Go to run for president after the two were caught by surprise by Mayor Duterte-Carpio's decision.
"You've already started. Just run for president if that's what they're going to do to you," he said he told Go after Mayor Duterte-Carpio filed her papers to run for vice president.
The president said his decision to support Go — a close associate who has been with him since before the presidency — is "a matter of principle," adding that he never said he would support Marcos' bid for the presidency.
"I will say the reason why I can't support him, and why just like Leni [Robredo], he's pro-communist," he said but did not elaborate.
— with a report from Xave Gregorio