Cayetano still hoping for a Duterte run

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

HOPE springs eternal for those who want Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to seek the presidency, including Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano who wishes to be his running mate.

Cayetano is keeping his fingers crossed that the reluctant Duterte would still run, citing the mayor’s supposed recent statements.

Cayetano quoted Duterte as saying in a gathering last Sunday that only the Lord could say if he would become President.

“Meaning he’s open and he’s leaving it up to the Lord,” Cayetano told a forum at the Kamuning Bakery.

He also disclosed that Duterte supposedly said that there was still December for him to run by substituting for another candidate. The deadline for substitution is on Dec. 10.

Option available

The option is available to Duterte after a member of the PDP-Laban filed a certificate of candidacy for President.

Cayetano also said he and Duterte talked on the phone after the deadline for the filing of the COC lapsed. They are expected to meet in a few days for further discussion.

Duterte told him he really had no ambition to become President and could not see why people could not understand his decision.

READ: Duterte: I won’t be substitute | It’s final: Duterte won’t run for president in 2016 |  ‘Change is coming’: Alan Cayetano files COC for VP sans Duterte

But Cayetano said he told the mayor it was not that people did not understand, they just could not accept that he would not run because they believe in his competence so much.

If ever Duterte would be persuaded to change his mind, Cayetano said this should not be seen as a sign of weakness or flip-flopping on the mayor’s part.

It would not be a flip-flop because Duterte never vacillated between running or not running, and had consistently said he did not want to seek the presidency. If ever he would run, such a decision by the mayor would also be a result of public clamor.

More people thankful

“More people would say ‘thank you’ rather than be angry if he changes his mind,” Cayetano said.

“Mayor Duterte sees Davao City as his family. If he begins to see the whole country as his family as well, there might be an opening for him to consider running,” he added.

According to Cayetano, it was important for him that Duterte join the race for Malacañang. There are many good candidates, but Duterte is the only one who can offer something “game changing” and of a different perspective, he said.

He also said that his and Duterte’s plans for the country jived.

Duterte advocates federalism, while Cayetano bats for the decentralization of national government offices.

But in case Duterte does not become a substitute and completely shuts the door on the presidency, Cayetano said he would still run for Vice President.

In case Duterte does run but chooses another bet to be his running mate, Cayetano said he would still support the mayor.