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| Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who is party president, said he is prodding Duterte to run for a seat in the upper chamber instead of the vice-presidency. (Photo from Philstar) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] MANILA:The faction of administration party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino: Lakas ng Bayan backed by President Rodrigo Duterte admitted that it is trying to convince him to run for senator in the 2022 elections, PhilStar reported. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who is party president, said he is prodding Duterte to run for a seat in the upper chamber instead of the vice-presidency and to become the campaign manager of the party’s presidential bet, Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, and his running mate Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go.
"If the president is decided that he won’t really run and he doesn’t want to break his word, I said, “Okay, just run for senator so you can bring change in the Senate," he said. The Constitution bars presidents from running for another term in Malacañang but does not prevent them from seeking other elective positions. PDP-Laban’s Cusi faction was originally pushing for Duterte to run for vice president while his former long-time aide, Go, will run for president. However, they both surprised the public when Go instead filed his candidacy for vice president and Duterte announced that he is retiring from politics.
But Cusi said that they are still encouraging Duterte to run for vice president, stressing that the political landscape has changed and that the party can revert to its original plan.
