Duterte should pick a VP from other parties—Pimentel

Should Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte decide to run for president in 2016, he should pick a vice president from other political parties.

This was the opinion of PDP-Laban President Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III when asked about the plans of the party for the 2016 elections.

Duterte, a party member, is considered by the party as its presidential standard bearer.

“The party leadership will advise him (Duterte) to reach out to other parties or organized groups for a vice presidential candidate but still on the basis of shared political philosophy and program of government hindi dahil sa popular lang or sa flavor of the month ‘yung tao (not because he is popular or the flavor of the month),”Pimentel said at the sidelines of a media forum on Monday.

However, the final decision on who will be the party’s vice presidential bet rests on Duterte’s hands.

“If Mayor Duterte will be our standard-bearer, we have to give him some elbow room to choose his preferred running mate so we’ll give him that right, that discretion to choose his running mate,” the senator said.

Pimentel said that the public should wait for the decision of the mayor regarding his 2016 plans. He said that he might sound off his decision come August or September in time for the filing of candidacy in October.

In an earlier Inquirer report, Duterte said that he wants Batangas governor and “Star for All Seasons” Vilma Santos as his running mate.

“Vilma Santos would be a good choice,” Duterte was quoted as saying.

On the other hand, a possible Duterte-Marcos tandem is said to be forming as Marcos became a guest during Duterte’s weekly local program “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” last Sunday.

Marcos is the first national politician to appear in the show. AU

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