President Rodrigo Duterte has no “final” decision yet on calls of his allies to run for senator in the May 9, 2022 national elections, Malacañang said on Friday, Nov. 5.
This, after Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said Duterte is considering seeking a Senate seat next in next year’s polls.
“As far as I know, wala pa pong pinal na desisyon (there is no decisison yet). But as Senator Bong Go said, he is considering,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual presser, when asked about Duterte’s 2022 political plans.
Go and Duterte were initially proclaimed as the presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively, of the ruling party, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
However, Go instead ran for vice president after Duterte withdrew his plan to seek the second top post in the country as he sought to retire from politics when he steps down from office in 2022.
Despite Duterte’s planned retirement from politics, the PDP-Laban has urged the President to join the 2022 senatorial race.
Go said Duterte is still weighing a number of factors, including the senatorial slate of the PDP-Laban.
He added that PDP-Laban officials would meet before Nov. 15 to finalize the party’s Senate slate.
The period of filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) ended on Oct. 8, but the deadline for substitution of candidates of political parties is until Nov. 15.PNA
