Pres. Rodrigo Duterte —MALACAÑANG PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte admitted Friday that his faction at the PDP-Laban does not have a presidential candidate because they could not find anyone for the post.
In an interview with Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar, Duterte was asked why PDP-Laban does not have a presidential candidate despite being the ruling party.
“(It’s) simply because wala rin kaming makita,” Duterte said.
“I do not want to give an assessment or evaluation because may mga projections kami about this man… Sinabi ko sa kanya earlier, sabi ko, ‘Adre, di ka manalo.’ At doon sa Davao sabi ko, ‘Huwag mo sayangin ‘yang pera mo,’” he added, without naming the man he is referring to.
PDP-Laban is currently seeing its members divided into two factions—one led by Senator Manny Pacquiao and the other led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.
Duterte is backing the Cusi wing whose initial presidential candidate was Senator Christopher “Bong” Go. However, Go later withdrew his presidential bid, leaving the Cusi wing without a presidential candidate.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, is vying for the presidential seat and filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) under the Probinsiya Muna Development Initiative (Promdi) party amid the PDP-Laban issue.
Pacquiao said Promdi is an allied party of the PDP-Laban.
Meanwhile, the Duterte-backed PDP-Laban wing has adopted Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio as its vice presidential candidate. Notably, the wing has not adopted or endorsed a presidential candidate.
Duterte himself has said he is not endorsing any presidential candidate for now.