Davide: Dad will not be lured into politics

Hilario Davide Jr.

FORMER Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. is not running for a senate seat.

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III dismissed reports that his father, the former head magistrate of the Supreme Court, will be seeking a seat in the senate under the opposition Liberal Party in next year’s midterm elections.

Governor Davide is the eldest son of the former chief justice.
The younger Davide said his father does not have any interest in politics and “he will not be lured into it.”

“Dili na akong papa ana. (My father is not into that.) He has no appetite for politics. Ako ra man ang politiko sa amoa (I am the only politician in the family),” Davide told reporters on Wednesday.

“It is his age and he is not a politician. Gi-consider lang na siya [to run] but he is not running,” the governor added.

The former Chief Justice is now 82 years old.

Davide also said that their family would not advise their father to run should there be any offer from any political party.

“Di pod mi (We also don’t want him to run). If there will be offers, we will advise him against running,” he said.

Governor Davide added that his father is not interested to hold any other government office after he retired from being the chief justice in 2005 and was appointed as permanent representative of the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations in New York City.

Before being a chief justice in 1998 until 2005 and a Philippine representative to the UN, the older Davide was an assemblyman from 1978 to 1984, a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission, Chairman of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from 1988 to 1989 and an associate justice of the SC from 1991 to 1998.

During the height of the quo warranto petition against former Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, former Chief Justice Davide was among those who defended her.
Meanwhile, Governor Davide said that they are still finalizing their lineup for the 2019 polls.

Davide also refused to reveal his party’s lineup before the filing of their Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) on October 1 to 5.

“You will eventually know. We will cross the bridge when it’s done,” Davide said.

Davide is seeking a third and final term as governor of Cebu in 2019.

Although he was vocal in his preference of Vice Governor Agnes Magpale as his running mate, the latter had repeatedly refused saying she would be retiring from politics due to her age.

Magpale will be turning 77 in January.