By Deighton Acuin and Archie Villaflores

PHOTO: Philippine Daily Inquirer

Amid calls to run as Vice President in the 2022 national elections, President Rodrigo Duterte is focused on the Philippines’ COVID-19 vaccination drive, Malacañang said on Friday.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte’s marching orders are to ensure the public is encouraged to get inoculated and the vaccine rollout, even he has yet to talk with the President regarding the matter.

When asked during the televised briefing of Duterte’s 2022 plans, Roque said: “Hindi ko pa po nakakausap ang Presidente tungkol sa bagay na ito. Ang plano ko po talaga sana ay magkaroon ng isang mahabang usapin tungkol sa pulitika.”

He added: “Pero tama po kayo, sa ngayon po, nakatutok ang Presidente dito sa pagpapabakuna dahil kinakailangan sa lalong mabilis na panahon, makahanap tayo ng bakuna at maibigay ito sa ating mga kababayan.”

Some members of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-LABAN) urging Duterte to run as Vice President for next year’s polls.

On Thursday, the Chief Executive even bared that his former aide and now Senator Christopher “Bong” Go is eyeing to run for presidency though the lawmaker dismissed the pronouncement as a casual joke.

“I will quote Senator Bong Go noong sinasabi niya na palagi naman nagbibiro po ang ating Presidente para merong light moment,” Roque said.

Roque went on: “Pero ngayon po, as you can see, lahat po kaming mga miyembro ng gabinete, kanya kanyang assignment, umiikot sa iba’t ibang parte ng Pilipinas para engganyohin po ang ating medical frontliners at ating kababayan na magpabakuna, yan po ang marching orders ng ating Presidente.”


RELATED ARTICLE: Philippine Daily Inquirer