VACC chair Martin Diño files COC for president

(Updated 9:56 p.m.) Martin Diño, chairman of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), has added his name to the list of those who are seeking the presidency in the 2016 elections.

Diño filed his certificate of candidacy at the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila, on Friday afternoon, the last day of filing for next year's elections. He was accompanied by VACC founding chairman Dante Jimenez.

VACC chair Martin Dino files COC for president #Eleksyon2016 (Photo: @Joseph_Morong) http://t.co/N2ol2TPHuB pic.twitter.com/nuoQyp9YSI

— GMA News (@gmanews) October 16, 2015

Diño will run under PDP Laban, where he is deputy secretary general.

PDP Laban is the party of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who on the last minutes of the filing of the COC had to issue a statement maintaining that he is not interested in running for president despite strong clamor from his supporters.

GMA News sources said it was possible that Diño filed his COC for president to keep the door open for Duterte to file his own COC as the party's substitute candidate on or before December 10.

Diño denied that he was just filling in for Duterte.

In a radio interview, Duterte again denied being interested in running for president.

"Wala na yung substitute-substitute. Hindi naman ako pang-substitute eh. Ang original ako," Duterte said.

He surmised that the party could be trying to change his mind by lining him up for substitution, but his earlier promise to refuse the position put a stop to their attempts.

"Malayo na yan kasi hindi ako sanay magloko ng tao lalo na as a public official. Sabi ko, 'yun na 'yun talaga. And even if it's really possible, pasensya na lang," Duterte said. —KBK/NB, GMA News