President Rodrigo Duterte
MANILA, Philippines — The current Senate candidates of the PDP-Laban Cusi wing are ready to give up their candidacy and make way for President Rodrigo Duterte should he be decide to run for senator in the 2022 elections.
“Pinag-uusapan namin ‘yan. I’m sure one of them would be ready to give way to the President to make a sacrifice kung talagang tatakbo si Pangulo,” Energy Sec. Alfonso Cusi said in an interview over ABS CBN’s TeleRadyo.
(We are discussing it. I’m sure one of them would be readily give way to the President should he decide to seek a Senate seat.)
“If needed, kung tatakbo si Pangulo, baka mag unahan pa sila magbigay daan para lang tumakbo si Pangulo,” he added.
Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
At present, the organic senatorial bets of the PDP-Laban Cusi wing are:
-former chief presidential counsel Salvador Panelo
-actor Robin Padilla
–Silvestre Bello Jr. (Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III’s brother)
-broadcaster Rey Langit
Cusi has bared party efforts to convince President Duterte to run for senator in the upcoming elections.
The PDP-Laban faction had initially nominated Duterte as its vice presidential candidate with Senator Bong Go as his running mate but the President later announced his intention to retire from politics instead.
This prompted the party to instead field Go as its vice presidential bet and Senator Ronald dela Rosa as the standard bearer.
Cusi said the party wants Duterte to vie for a Senate seat so that he could bring his “style of leadership” in the upper chamber of Congress.
“Hinihimok namin siya na tumakbo bilang isang senador para magdala naman ng kanyang style of leadership in the Senate that will revolutionize ang kwan ng Senado, hindi ‘yung sa nangyayari sa ngayon,” he said.
(We are urging him to run as senator so that he could bring his style of leadership in the Senate that will revolutionize the upper chamber.)
“Ayaw natin sayangin ‘yan, sana ma-harness natin ‘yung wisdom, leadership of President Duterte para mapaunlad, para mapabago ang sistema dito sa ating bansa,” he added.
(We don’t want to waste that. We hope to harness his wisdom and his leadership to improve and change the system in the country.)
The PDP-Laban faction believes that Duterte can bring “real change” to the Senate and that he will represent the “real interest of the public,” the party president added.
He also denied that the purpose of having Duterte to run as senator is that if he wins, he can get back at the senators who investigated government transactions.
“Napakababaw ng ganung klaseng purpose if you’re going to the Senate para maghiganti. That will be a total disservice to the nation, to the public,” Cusi said.
(That purpose is so shallow. That will be a total disservice to the nation, to the public.)
“You don’t deserve to be in the Senate kung ikaw ay sinususian lang ng bagay ng paghihiganti,” he added.
(You don’t deserve to be in the Senate if you only want vengeance.)