Duterte, Honasan still playing coy on plans

Sen. Gregorio “Gringo’’ Honasan II and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte FILE PHOTOS

A WEEK before the start of the filing of certificates of candidacy, Sen. Gregorio “Gringo’’ Honasan II and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte are still playing coy about their plans to run for higher office.

Honasan is touted as the running mate of Vice President Jejomar Binay but has declined to say so, while Duterte is being awaited by Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano to be his running mate.

Cayetano declared last week that he would seek the vice presidency.

“I’ve always been a good soldier,’’ said Honasan Monday as he entrusted to the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) whether he would be Binay’s running mate. Honasan happens to be UNA’s second top man.

“It’s possible but it will be a party decision,’’ the senator told reporters of his teaming up with Binay.

But a source privy to party matters on Binay’s running mate said the Binay-Honasan tandem was indeed happening, after talks between a team-up between Binay and Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong’’ Marcos Jr. fizzled out.

Up in the air

As the search for Binay’s running mate is almost over, the possible tandem between Duterte and Cayetano remains up in the air.

Cayetano told reporters he was waiting for Duterte to make a final decision, but he sounded optimistic that the feisty Davao City mayor would eventually relent to the clamor of the people.

Only Binay remains the declared presidential aspirant without a running mate, as Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo made official Monday her team-up with Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas.

Last month, Sen. Grace Poe announced her presidential run and her running mate, Sen. Francis Escudero.

The source said Honasan would abide by the party decision and he was just consulting his family.

Bi-Hon

Honasan said two weeks ago he was not inclined to run for Vice President in a tandem he called Bi-Hon (Binay-Honasan), but Binay insisted that the senator remained on his list of possible running mates.

Speaking to reporters in the Senate, Honasan said, “I will subordinate myself to the decision of the party which I’m helping organize.’’

Asked for his reaction should the party chose him as Binay’s partner, the senator said: “What choice will I have?’’

He said he had been consulting his family on such a “major decision.’’

“If my family and friends cannot be behind me 100 percent, I cannot be 100-percent behind anybody, including the Vice President and that’s not his decision to make,’’ Honasan said.

He reiterated he did not consider running for Vice President in 2016 and did “not present myself’’ as one.

The expected entry of Honasan in the vice presidential race will bring to three the number of senators vying for the same position—as this will also include Escudero and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.

Trillanes, reacting to the possibility that he will be running against Honasan, said he believed it would be a “fair competition,’’ noting that the former was his “upper classman’’ and is a “friend.’’

Trillanes used to be a Navy officer and a member of Magdalo, a group of young military officers who attempted to dislodge the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, meanwhile, said he had yet to talk to Honasan but added the senator, who used to be his protégé, was qualified for the job.

“But the problem there is, does he want to run? I do not know. Second, do you have the resources to undergo that kind of political adventure? Running is easy,’’ Enrile told reporters.

Asked whether he was inclined to support Binay since like Honasan he was a member of UNA, Enrile said: “I have my own choice but I will keep it to myself.’’

The expected Binay-Honasan tandem may prompt Sen. Vicente Sotto to drop his support for Escudero. Sotto has declared support for Poe and Escudero when their tandem was announced.

Sotto said his inclination was to support Honasan if the latter does run, as they were close friends.

“I will have to talk to Senators Poe and Escudero,’’ Sotto said.

Cayetano, meanwhile, said he was awaiting the final decision of Duterte whom he noted had said the other day he would consider again running for President, “giving a glimmer of hope to his supporters.’’