MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday hints at a vice-presidential run in next year’s elections which will pit him against his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio who earlier filed her candidacy for vice president under the Lakas-CMD party via substitution.
Duterte, who accompanied senators Bong Go and Bato dela Rosa to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Manila confirmed this development.
Both Go and Dela Rosa withdrew their certificates of candidacy on Saturday for vice president, and president respectively.
Go filed for presidency under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS) party.
“Ako na ang assistant niya ngayon,” Duterte told reporters, pointing to Bong Go, hinting of his run as vice president. (I will be his assistant now.)
When pressed if he’s going to run for senator, Duterte said: “Magba-vice [president].”
Duterte, when asked if this meant that he will be competing against his daughter, responded in jest: “I don’t know, nag-file ba? Yung anak ko nag-file ba?” (I don’t know. Did she file already? Did my daughter file for president already?”
“Monday na lang ako,” Duterte added. (I will do so on Monday.)
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar, who also attended the event, added that Duterte will be filing his candidacy for vice president on Monday.
“Sa Monday, babalik si presidente dito sa Comelec, para magfa-file, ng kanyang candidacy for vice president. So abangan natin ang susunod na kabanata,” Andanar told reporters on Saturday.
(On Monday, the President will come back to the Comelec, to file his candidacy for vice president. So let’s wait for the next chapter.)