By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

PHOTO: ABS-CBN News

Malacañang on Tuesday said Presidential aspirant and Manila City mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso’s pronouncement to welcome President Rodrigo Duterte into his 2022 Senate slate with open arms, proves that the commander-in-chief still has the public's trust. 

Acting presidential spokesman Cabinet Secretary Carlo Nograles in a Palace press briefing said Domagoso's gestures only shows that many still believe that Duterte can continue to serve the nation after his term. 

“Ito ay patunay sa maraming nagawa ni Pangulong Duterte sa kanyang panunungkulan at sa marami niyang ginagawa at gagawin pa,” Nograles said.

“Patunay ito sa kumpiyansa ng marami sa ating mga kababayan sa kanya na pag binigyan sya ng pagkakataon na makapagpatuloy ng kanyang serbisyo sa Senado ay mapagpatuloy niya ang lahat ng mga ito,” he added.

Nograles, however, refused to comment should there be a possible 2022 election alliance between the chief executive and presidential contender. 

“Kung mayroon mang mangyayari pagkatapos nito na pag-adopt o ‘di kaya magkaroon ng alliances, ayokong pangunahan kung anong mangyayari sa mga susunod pang mga araw o linggo at maging sa susunod na buwan,” he said.

After months of speculations on his next step after his presidential term, Duterte filed his candidacy for senator under the Pederalismong Dakilang Dugong Samahan (PDDS), an allied party of his supposed dominant party PDP-Laban.

Domagoso, standard bearer of Aksyon Demokratiko, bared he would vote and would even go as far as endorsing President Duterte, noting the chief executive as "qualified candidate" for the Senate.

“I will personally vote for President Duterte for senator. And I will be grateful, honored, and humbled to have somebody like the president in our slate as an additional candidate for senator,” he said in an ambush interview during his visit in Lapu-Lapu City. 

Moreno explained that as president, Duterte had many accomplishments, citing the administration's flagship infrastructure project Build, Build, Build. He added that the president can be "very much capable of doing the job as a legislator."

The two earlier went into a word war, in which Domagoso, a former actor who had done mature roles, reacted to Duterte's tirades against an unnamed Metro Manila mayor for having a "disorganized mind" and having lewd photos circulating online.