MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has said he and Senator Bong Go will not run in the 2022 national elections if his daughter, Davao City mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio vies for the presidency, Malacañang said Wednesday.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed that President Duterte said this in his “Talk to the People” address on Monday night but this was not aired. It is still unclear why this part was cut from the public address.
“If I were to quote him, ang kanyang sinabi ay, ‘Should Sara decide to run, Bong Go is out. For my part, dahil delicadeza, hindi po puwede dalawa kami diyan, If she runs, out na rin ako.’ So ‘yun po ang sinabi niya,” Roque said in an interview with Erwin Tulfo.
(If I were to quote him, what he said was ‘Should Sara decide to run, Bong Go is out. For my part, because of delicadeza, it’s not right if both of us are there. So if she runs, I’m also out.’ So that’s what the President said.)
In the aired portion of the address, Duterte said he would run for vice president in the 2022 polls to “continue the crusade.”
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles also confirmed that the President said on Monday night that he will not continue his vice presidential bid in 2022 should his daughter run for president.
“Yes, he said that if Mayor Sara runs then he’s considering not running for vice president,” he said in an interview over CNN Philippines.
Duterte has repeatedly said he does not want his daughter to follow his footsteps in Malacañang even though the latter has emerged as the top presidential candidate in several polls.
In July, Duterte-Carpio said she is open to run for president in the 2022 polls.
However, her regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) earlier said Duterte-Carpio may not run for president under any party if her father guns for the vice presidency.
She is also “not interested” in partnering up with her father in the presidential and vice presidential race.