Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio will not be a substitute candidate for president of the ruling party, PDP-Laban, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Saturday.
Despite mounting calls for her to succeed her father, Roque said Duterte-Carpio is firm in her reelection bid for a third and final time.
“She said there will be no substitution,” Roque said when pressed whether the Davao City Mayor will eventually replace Senator Bato dela Rosa as PDP-Laban standard bearer.
Roque himself abandoned his senatorial ambition as he said he will only run if Duterte-Carpio joins the presidential race.
Political parties can replace their candidates for the May 9, 2022 elections until November 15.
Dela Rosa, after filing his COC on Friday, said he was not aware if PDP-Labas officials are talking to the Davao mayor.
“That would be better,” Dela Rosa said of the possibility of the presidential daughter replacing him.
Meanwhile, a citizens movement formed to convince and support Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s supposed run for presidency on Saturday expressed sadness over the decision of the president’s daughter not to join the 2022 presidential race.
“As the last day for the official filing of candidacy comes to a close, there are undoubtedly countless Filipinos who are brokenhearted to learn that our chosen candidate has opted to continue her public service in Davao City,” said Deputy Speaker and Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy, spokesperson of the Hugpong Para kay Sara (HPS) movement.
“This sadness, however, needs to be contextualized. We are saddened by the fact that we do not have a really leading candidate but Mayor Sara has said that she is not interested in the position,” Herrera-Dy stressed.
Herrera said the clamor for her to run was entirely unsolicited, and done on a voluntary basis. “Accordingly, we should respect the decision of Mayor Inday Sara, knowing full well that she was clear about her intentions from the start, and is mindful enough to know how she can best be of service to her fellow Filipinos. Indeed, the country’s ‘loss’ is Davao City’s great gain,” said Herrera.
“To my fellow volunteers, I can say this with utmost pride: by staying true and consistent to her word, Mayor Inday Sara has once again highlighted exactly why we are so passionate in our support for her. She is a woman that is clearly not motivated by personal ambition, refuses to engage in political manipulations, and stands firm on her convictions,” she added.
HPS, which was launched early this month, is a citizen’s movement composed of various people-based organizations, local government leaders and business groups.