2022 election plans? Palace says Duterte focused on COVID-19 vaccination program
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte is focused on the country’s COVID-19 vaccination program, Malacañang said Friday amid calls for him to run for the vice presidency in the 2022 national elections.
While he has yet to talk to the President about it, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte’s marching orders are to ensure the vaccine rollout and that the public is encouraged to get vaccinated.
“Hindi ko pa po nakakausap ang Presidente tungkol sa bagay na ito. Ang plano ko po talaga sana ay magkaroon ng isang mahabang usapin tungkol sa pulitika,” Roque said in televised press conference in Ilocos Norte when asked of Duterte’s political plans for 2022.
(I have not talked to the President about this. I plan to have a lengthy discussion with him regarding politics.)
“Pero tama po kayo, sa ngayon po, nakatutok ang Presidente dito sa pagpapabakuna dahil kinakailangan sa lalong mabilis na panahon, makahanap tayo ng bakuna at maibigay ito sa ating mga kababayan,” he added.
(But you are right, as of this time, the President is focused on the vaccination because we need to find vaccines and distribute these as soon as possible.)
Some members of Duterte’s political party PDP-Laban are urging him to run for the vice presidency in the 2022 polls.
On Thursday, Duterte himself also bared that his former aide Senator Bong Go is eyeing the presidency though the latter dismissed this as a mere joke.
“I will quote Senator Bong Go noong sinasabi niya na palagi naman nagbibiro po ang ating Presidente para merong light moment,” Roque said.
(I will quote Senator Bong Go when he said that the President is joking to have a light moment.)
“Pero ngayon po, as you can see, lahat po kaming mga miyembro ng gabinete, kanya kanyang assignment, umiikot sa iba’t ibang parte ng Pilipinas para engganyohin po ang ating medical frontliners at ating kababayan na magpabakuna, yan po ang marching orders ng ating Presidente,” he went on.
(But now, as you can see, all of the Cabinet members have their own assignments to go around parts of the Philippines to encourage medical frontliners and the public to be vaccinated, that’s the President’s marching order.)
