Roque: Duterte may drop hints of 2022 plans in final Sona

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte may drop hints of his political plans in the 2022 elections in his final State of the Nation Address (Sona) but this will not take up a huge portion of his speech, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday.

Roque said the bulk of the President’s speech will be a review on his administration’s accomplishments in the last five years and “the road forward.”

“He could probably give us hints, but I don’t think that will occupy a major part of his speech. It could be in passing, at most,” he said in an interview over CNN Philippines.

Roque earlier said the President may not include in his speech his political plans.

President Duterte had bared plans of running for the vice presidency in the 2022 national polls.

He had said this is a “good idea” since he still has “unfinished business” including ending corruption, criminality and the illegal drug problem in the country.

READ: Duterte says he will not run for VP if Romualdez vies for same post

In a separate pronouncement, Duterte said he plans to run for vice president to circumvent possible lawsuits he would face once he steps down as President and loses his immunity.

His allies have likewise urged him to run for the second highest post in the country for “continuity.”

President Duterte will deliver his final Sona at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City on Monday afternoon.

He is expected to tout in his final Sona the country’s improvements since he took over the seat of power in 2016, notably on peace and security as well as foreign policies.

JE