Cayetano on Duterte’s VP bid: He may be securing ‘gains’ made in his administration

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte may have decided to join the vice presidential race in 2022 because he wants to secure the gains made under his term, close ally and Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano said on Friday.

According to Cayetano, he still believes that it would be best for Duterte to retire and be an elder statesman — like former president Fidel Ramos.

Cayetano, who was Duterte’s running mate in the 2016 polls, made the comment in reaction to the recent spat between Duterte and Senator Manny Pacquiao, after the latter claimed that the government is still facing a huge corruption problem.

“Sa isang banda, naiintindihan namin si Manny Pacquiao na gusto niyang tulungan ang ating Pangulo na iexpose yung ibang corruption. Sa ibang banda, kung ikaw naman ang Presidente at sabihin mong two, three times mas corrupt ngayon, eh categorical na yun so siyempre, maghahanap ka ng ebidensya. So this might be one thing that led the President to declare because siyempre gusto niyang alagaan yung gains niya this administration,” Cayetano said.

(On one hand, we understand Pacquiao and his desire to help the President to expose corruption. On the other hand, if you were the President and people say that corruption is two or three times worse now, that is categorical and you will want to look for evidence. So this might be one thing that led the President to declare because of course he wants to secure his gains during his administration.)

“So narinig nyo naman yung opinyon ko dati, na ako personally, kung tatanungin niya ako bilang isa sa mga malalapit sa kanya, ang sasabihin ko tingnan nyo po si FVR (Fidel V. Ramos). Naging tatay na rin, parang, whether you agree with him or not, elder statesman siya,” he added.

(You heard my opinion before; personally, if you asked me as someone who is close to him, my answer is look at FVR. He has become a father, whether you agree with them or not; he is an elder statesman.)

However, the former House of Representatives speaker said that whatever decision the current President makes should be respected.  Still, a question still hangs: who would be Duterte’s president?

“Having said that, nung sinabi niyang tatakbo siya (when he said he was going to run), we have to respect that. And lahat naman may karapatan na tumakbo (Everyone has the right to run). And there’s no doubt in mind he will be a good vice president. The question will be, sinong Presidente niya (Who will be his president)?” Cayetano asked.

If in case Duterte wins and the president is not his ally, Cayetano said that the winning Chief Executive would face a situation similar to Vice President Leni Robredo, who has been forced to get creative in discharging her duties as she is from the opposition.

“Kasi kung ang presidente niya ay kalaban siya, ay parang siya at si Vice President Leni Robredo na nangyayari ngayon,” he explained.

(Because if his president is his enemy, it would be like how it is right now with Vice President Leni Robredo.)

“Pero kung ang presidente niya ay sanggang-dikit niya, for example whether ibigay sa kanya ang DILG or a department that has to do with law and order, corruption czar or anti drug czar, then not only it will be malinaw sa tao yung tanong na gusto icontinue ang programa ni President Duterte o hindi,” he added.

Duterte said during the inauguration of the LRT-2’s new stations that people can consider him to be running for the vice presidential seat in the 2022 National Elections — even if he admitted that it was merely political posturing.

“Maybe at this time, you can say that maybe para to maintain the equilibrium sa lahat, consider me a candidate for the vice presidency at this time,” the President explained.

While Duterte made no other mention of reasons why he would run, his party, the ruling PDP-Laban, has urged him earlier this year to run for vice president — a resolution that Pacquiao, as party president, said was unauthorized.

Duterte and Pacquiao are currently at a crossroads: after Pacquiao’s comments, Duterte dared the senator to name which agencies are corrupt.  Pacquiao then obliged, saying that the government can start with the Department of Health (DOH) and its COVID-19 pandemic response, name-dropping Secretary Francisco Duque III in the process.

Pacquiao is rumored to be gunning for the presidency come 2022, but other Duterte allies are also believed to be doing so — from Duterte’s daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, to Senator Bong Go and former senator Bongbong Marcos.

PDP-Laban officials loyal to Duterte like Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who is party vice chairperson, have indirectly asked Pacquiao to leave the party.  Cusi also joked that the PDP in the party stands for President Duterte’s Party — a joke that Pacquiao did not find funny.

READ: As Duterte-Pacquiao rift widens, ruling party’s future hangs in the balance

But for Cayetano, who was once Pacquiao’s classmate in the Senate, said that what administration allies must do is to unite in changing the country for the good, and be peacemakers instead of fanning the dispute.

“Elected officials will not always agree in every issue. Ang importante lang ay nagkakaisa tayo kung ano ang pinakamaganda sa bayan (What is important is that we are united towards what is the best for the country),” he said.

“So first and foremost, dun sa hindi pagkakaunawaan, I think, rather than being excited fans of two heavy weights, we should really be peace makers para may common ground pa rin yung dalawa,” he added.

JE