Push for Duterte vice presidency ‘just a draft,’ says House leader
MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker who is a member of the ruling PDP-Laban party on Friday said that a resolution calling for President Rodrigo Duterte to run for vice presidency in the 2022 national elections is only a “draft” and has yet to be adopted by the entire party.
House Deputy Speaker Eric Martinez said several PDP-Laban members from Metro Manila and nearby provinces have already signed a resolution calling for Duterte to run for the vice president’s post next year.
“Please do not be mistaken, this is a draft resolution. Hindi pa (this is not yet a) adopted resolution by the entire party,” Martinez said in an interview with reporters.
Martinez said the matter of resolving who will represent PDP-Laban in the 2022 polls will be decided in a “collective manner” by the members of the party.
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The lawmaker earlier said Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, the vice-chairman of the party, “is going around the country consulting with the PDP members” regarding the resolution.
Other party members informed
Some members of the ruling party appeared to have been caught by surprise after learning that such draft resolution was being passed among their party-mates without their knowledge.
PDP-Laban’s acting president Senator Manny Pacquiao was none too happy when he learned that such “unauthorized” draft is doing the rounds among party members.
“Hindi ko alam yun [resolution]. Hindi [ko] yun sanctioned bilang acting president ng partido. Hindi po yun authorized dahil ang focus po talaga ng partido ngayon e paano ba tayo makatulong ng mga tao na nagugutom ngayon,” Pacquiao said.
But Martinez said Cusi had informed key party leaders such as Senator Koko Pimentel, despite that he was not present during the meeting of the PDP-Laban members
“’Yung meeting na yun is a serious small group meeting. Collectively, we will have our formal assembly pero it’s a sentiment kasi kaya proposed resolution, draft resolution. So informed naman si Sen. Koko about the movements na ‘yun,” he said.
EDV
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