President Rodrigo Roa Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on February 24, 2021. File photo / KARL ALONZO / Malacanang
MANILA, Philippines — It will be a “supreme sacrifice” from President Rodrigo Duterte’s part should he run and get elected as the country’s vice president in next year’s elections, an official of PDP-Laban said Tuesday.
PDP-Laban Deputy Secretary General Melvin Matibag made the remark as a resolution calling for Duterte to run as Vice President in the 2022 elections is being passed around among members of the ruling party—a move that party leaders have called as “unauthorized.”
“For the benefit of the party and the country, hindi ko naman makita yung reason kung bakit natin pipigilan kung the vice presidential candidate will be President Duterte. Mas mabigat nga na issue ito kay President Duterte,” Matibag said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.
(I don’t see any reason why we should stop it when the vice presidential candidate will be President Duterte. This is actually a major issue for President Duterte.)
“He will be making a supreme sacrifice na he reached already the pinnacle of power being the President of the nation, and he will humble himself to be the vice president for the benefit of our country,” he added.
According to Matibag, instead of Duterte enjoying his retirement once he steps down from his post, the President will make a sacrifice by running again for a national post for the purpose of continuing his programs “so that everybody will benefit.”
“We know, in the party, everybody will agree the campaign of the President, against drugs, against corruption, against poverty, terrorism, crimes is gaining ground,” Matibag said.
“Plus, not, not to mention that the 10 point, economic agenda of the President. For the purpose of continuing it so that everybody will benefit, so medyo mabigat na sakripisyo ‘yun para sa isang nanungkulan na presidente,” he added.
(This is a major sacrifice for someone who is already serving as president.)
Earlier, House Deputy Speaker Eric Martinez said a resolution urging Duterte to run for vice president is being passed among members of the party.
However, Senator Manny Pacquiao, the ruling party’s acting president, said that the resolution was “unauthorized” and even told his partymates that now is not the time to talk about politics.
In Cebu, allies of the President made a manifesto urging him to run for Vice President in the 2022 elections.
At least 28 executives have expressed support to this movement in hopes that Duterte will heed their call to make him run for another six-year position that will essentially be a step-down to his current position.
READ: Cebu allies to President Duterte: Run for VP