Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday said he could no longer wait to lead the country as he rejected anew the idea of sliding down to vice president.
“Hindi (No),” was Cayetano’s quick response when asked by reporters if he would consider running for vice president in 2016.
“As I said, madasalin akong tao at ang problema sa mga vice presidents e, isa lang ang dinadasal nila e. At ayokong ipagdasal yun,” he said.
(As I said, I’m a religious person and the problem with vice presidents is they only have one prayer. And I don’t want to pray for it.)
“But seriously, napakalaking honor na maging vice president and it’s a good training in becoming president. Pero kung alam mo na yung gusto mong gawin at tingin mong pwede mo nang ioffer ang sarili mo, inip na rin ako na yung nagagawa namin dito sa syudad ay magawa sa buong Pilipinas. Hindi mo magagawa yun pag vice president ka.”
(But seriously, it’s a big honor to become vice president and it’s a good training in becoming president. But if you know already what you want to do and that you feel you can offer yourself to do it, I feel impatient to do for the whole country what we are doing in the city. And you can’t do that if you’re the vice president.)
Cayetano has openly expressed his desire to run for president in 2016, unfazed by strong competition even within his own group at the Nacionalista Party (NP).
Aside from Cayetano, two NP members –Senators Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos Jr. and Antonio Trillanes IV–were reportedly being floated to be the party’s bet in the next presidential race.
No less than Marcos’ own mother, Ilocos Norte Representative Imelda Marcos, reportedly said that her son was qualified to run for president.
Asked if he was not threatened by Marcos’ possible presidential bid, Cayetano said: “Threatened saan? Kasi my mother is also pushing for me e, bakit ako mati-threaten?”
(Threatened where? My mother is also pushing for me so why would I feel threatened?)
If Senator Marcos has an “Imeldific” mother, Cayetano joked that he has also a “Sandific” mom, referring to his mother.
“So expect nyo naman ang nanay ng lahat ng presidential candidates ay para sa kanila,” he said.
RELATED STORY
Cayetano: Make C. Luzon, Calabarzon next PH capitals