By Lance Arevada

PHOTO: Brigada News

(SECOND UPDATE) — President Rodrigo Duterte said that he will not run for Vice President and give way to his daughter, Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio, if she will launch her presidential campaign in the 2022 Elections, multiple Cabinet officials have confirmed.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles told CNN Philippines on Wednesday that President Duterte will concede to the Davao City mayor as he dismissed a possible ‘Duterte-Duterte’ ticket in the upcoming elections in a meeting with officials on Tuesday night.

"If Mayor Sara runs, then he’s considering not running for Vice President.... He said na yung Duterte-Duterte to him — and he's always consistent diyan — sabi niya pag Duterte-Duterte parang, to him, he is not convinced that it should happen, at least itong 2022 National Elections,” Nograles said.

In a separate radio interview, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque also confirmed Duterte’s pronouncement, saying that Senator Bong Go, who is called by the PDP-Laban to run for President, will also be “out” of the race once Duterte-Carpio runs.

“Ang sabi nya, kung tatakbo si Mayor Sara Duterte, out sya at out din po si Senator Bong Go. If I were to quote him, ‘Should Sara decide to run, Bong Go is out. For my part, dahil delicadeza, hindi pwede dalawa kami dyan. If she runs, out na rin ako,” Roque said.


‘Stop talking about me’

In a statement following her father’s announcement, Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio urged her father and his supposed running mate, close ally Senator Bong Go, to “own up publicly to their decision turn as tandem” and stop making her the reason for them to run in the 2022 Elections.

“If they can confirm it privately, then I do not see the reason why they cannot be candid about it to the public.... I respectfully advise them to stop talking about me and make me the reason for them running or not running,” she said.



Duterte-Carpio revealed that the President “personally confirmed” to her his bid for vice presidency with what she described as a “not pleasant event.”

“I was left with two letters endorsed to me by the President for consideration — one note explained why I should endorse the Go-Duterte tandem and the other suggested that I take in Sen. Go as my vice president,” she added.

While in an apparent call back to the Pacquiao-Pimentel wing of PDP-Laban, the Davao City mayor also insisted that she should not be blamed for the continuing rift of the ruling party.

“It is not my fault no one among you is a leader worthy of the respect of the majority. Don't blame me for the sitcom that your party has been reduced to,” she said.

Duterte-Carpio added: “I think, I organize, and I implement accordingly. In the meantime, I refuse to be a political punching bag for a party in complete disarray.”


‘I will run for VP’


In that same meeting aired on Tuesday night, Duterte, who is already 76, has accepted the nomination of PDP-Laban to run for Vice President in the upcoming 2022 Elections.




"Gusto ninyo talaga? Oh, sige, tatakbo ako ng bise presidente. Then I will continue this crusade. I'm worried about the drugs, insurgency, then criminality, drugs," the President said.



PDP-Laban earlier confirmed on Tuesday that Duterte has “agreed to make sacrifices and heed the clamor of the people” to vie for the second-highest office in the government.

"I'm worried about the drugs, the insurgency. Well, number one is insurgency, then criminality, drugs. I may not have the power to give direction or guidance, but I can always express my views in public. For whatever it may be worth in the coming days, nasa Filipino na 'yan," the President added.

However, what remains unclear is why Duterte's statement of possibly withdrawing his vice-presidential bid for his daughter’s presidential campaign was cut out from what was aired last night.

Roque replied that he is “not sure why it was edited out,” but he further affirmed the President’s supposed vice-presidential campaign for one condition. 
 
“Yung pinakita po sa Talk to the People, yun po yung tinanong kung hindi nga tatakbo po si Mayor Sara, eh tatakbo siya. Pero ang talagang sagot po ay, tatakbo ba siya ng Vice President? Ang sagot ay hindi kung tatakbo po si Mayor Sara Duterte sa pagka-Presidente,” he said.

According to the 1987 Constitution, the President “shall not be eligible for any re-election.” But his allies said that this does not apply to other posts, as former Presidents Estrada and Macapagal-Arroyo were elected in lower positions, respectively.

THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY. REFRESH FOR FURTHER UPDATES.