Tuguegarao City, Cagayan – Lakas-CMD on Friday, October 15, said they may have Senator Bong Revilla as their presidential bid for 2022 as they are not expecting Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to run anymore in the 2022 polls.
The party’s secretary general and House Deputy Speaker Prospero Pichay told the media on Friday that Revilla is an ‘option’ for their presidential bet even as the party fielded the tandem of Anna Velasco and Lyle Fernando Uy last week.
Pichay said in a statement, “He (Revilla) remains to be an option, yes. We wanted Bong Revilla to run for president but he declined. We tried to convince him but he declined. Maybe he will change his mind, we don’t know.”
The Lakas-CMD secretary general added that their party has no more expectations of Inday Sara to change her decision on running for the highest post in the country despite public speculation.
Previously, Pichay has dismissed rumors that the party only fielded a ‘decoy’ or placeholder who will be replaced eventually by the President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter.
“After so many conversations, hindi na po. Wala nang pag-uusap. We really have to respect the decision of Mayor Inday Duterte. First, she is still young, she has so many unfinished business in Davao City. We really have to support that,” Pichay clarified.
The House Deputy Speaker was inquired if former senator Bongbong Marcos is one of their party’s choices for President and said “If Bong Revilla does not really want to run and there is no other alternative (but to push through with Anna Velasco to run).”
Even with calls to dismiss the substitution option until November 15, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has chosen to push through with it.
However, the poll body has called out lawmakers to modify and include limitations for the Comelec resolution on the substitution and withdrawal scheme.
Meanwhile, the current administration’s PDP-Laban alliance led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, has also expressed its expectation for Inday Sara to go for the presidential race in 2022, despite having the Dela Rosa-Go tandem. TNF