Cusi faction still determined to endorse Go as PDP presidential bet in Eleksyon 2022

PDP-Laban president Alfonso Cusi has appealed to Senator Christopher "Bong" Go to reconsider his decision to decline the ruling party's endorsement for him to seek the presidency in the coming 2022 elections.

In a letter addressed to Go on Monday, Cusi said that while the PDP-Laban National Executive Council understands Go's position, they are determined to endorse him as PDP-Laban candidate for president in the 2022 national elections.

"We earnestly hope that you will reconsider," Cusi said.

"We trust and believe in your leadership qualities- which, among others, are humility, sincerity, strong political will, honesty, good sense of justice, and innate goodness and goodwill towards your fellowmen, as exemplified by your Malasakit Centers," he added.

"These traits that you share with President Rodrigo Duterte make you the logical successor to be our country's next president," Cusi said.

Cusi stressed that Go and President Rodrigo Duterte as his runningmate is the "best pair to lead the country forward."

"Your track record of service, done quietly and without much fanfare, speak for itself," Cusi said.

The Cusi faction of PDP-Laban had endorsed Duterte to be Go's runningmate.

Duterte has accepted the endorsement, but according to Malacañang, this was under the perception that his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, will not run for president next year.

Malacañang also said Duterte will honor his promise to ditch his plan to seek the vice presidency in 2022 if ever House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez will run for the same post. Romualdez, however, has yet to express intention to run for vice president in 2022.

Not interested in presidency

Earlier, Go announced that he is declining the endorsement as he wants to devote his time and attention in helping the Filipinos recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said he is honored by the trust and confidence given to him by the ruling party, however, Go, who chairs the Senate health committee, insisted that he is not interested in the presidency.

"I am deeply honored by the trust and confidence of the members of the NEC (National Executive Commission) in my capability to run for the presidency this coming 2022 elections. For a simple man who hails from a city in the South, the endorsement alone by esteemed members and officers of the NEC is a great personal honor for me," Go said.

"As much as I wish to respond to the clamor of many of our partymates, I most respectfully decline the said endorsement. As I have said many times before, I am not interested in the presidency," he added. — RSJ, GMA News