PDP-Laban: Duterte not obliged to run in 2016

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. KIMBERLY DE LA CRUZ/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

His party’s designating him as a substitute candidate for President does not oblige Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to run in next year’s elections, according to Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, president of the Partido Demoktratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

The members of the PDP-Laban want their party mate Duterte to run for president, but they would not force him to do so despite the resolution approved by the party’s national council, said Pimentel.

The resolution states that the party would “compel” any one of its members to substitute for Martin Diño in the 2016 presidential race.

“The use of the word ‘compelling’ in the resolution is just poetic license to show to the mayor the sincerest aspirations of his party mates. Of course, there’s no forced candidacy. It’s not allowed under the democratic concept,” Pimentel said in a phone interview.

He said PDP-Laban would impose no penalties on the Davao City mayor in case should he opt not to run for President.

The PDP-Laban’s constitution lays down the grounds for the expulsion of a member, and refusing to become a candidate is not one of them, Pimentel added.

Nevertheless, party members continue to hope that Duterte, who has repeatedly said he has no plans of running and did not file a certificate of candidacy (COC) for President, would listen to their call, he said.

The PDP-Laban is waiting for Duterte to decide, Pimentel said.

Christopher Go, Duterte’s aide of 17 years, said that as of Thursday, the mayor’s stand hasn’t changed and that he had no interest in running for President.

But he said Duterte had told them to just wait and see and that he will continue his soul-searching on Nov. 1 and 2.

The possibility of Duterte’s becoming a contender was kept alive after his party mate Diño filed a certificate of candidacy for President, thereby opening up the option of Duterte coming in as a

substitute candidate.

The PDP-Laban then approved a resolution naming Duterte as Diño’s substitute in case the latter chooses not to continue with his candidacy. And Diño did indeed subsequently withdraw from the race.

In earlier interviews, Pimentel said there would be no hard feelings against Duterte in case he opts not to run.

He said Duterte never asked for support for his candidacy, and any moves made to convince him to run were voluntary on the part of the PDP-Laban members.

In Davao City, the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod, the alliance that Duterte founded, will also have to decide on who would replace him as mayoralty candidate in the event that Duterte agrees to substitute for Diño as a presidential candidate.

Melchor Quitain, the Hugpong secretary general, said the group was also waiting for Duterte’s decision on the presidential run. If he does, then Hugpong will name a substitute candidate for the mayoralty race, he said.

Quitain reiterated that Duterte remains with PDP-Laban even if he filed his candidacy certificate for reelection under Hugpong.

“As to who will be his replacement (in the mayoralty race), that I don’t know. It depends on the decision of the mayor and the party,” he said.

Duterte had earlier indicated that he wanted his daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, to run for mayor.

Last Oct. 16, a few hours before the close of the filing of candidacy certificates, Sara posted a signed COC for mayor on Instagram, saying “Digong (her father’s nickname), I’m waiting for you.” But the COC never found its way to the Comelec office.

Sources close to the family said Sara was only waiting for Duterte to withdraw his COC for mayor before filing hers. Since that did not happen, she opted not to file her COC, they said.