ELEKSYON 2022

PDP-Laban Cusi faction not yet eyeing Sara Duterte as alternative presidential bet

The PDP-Laban faction under Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said Tuesday it has not yet considered Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte as its alternative presidential candidate in the May 2022 elections.

“We have not discussed that. They have not reached out to us. We have no basis to even discuss it this time,” Cusi said in an online briefing ahead of the party’s national convention on Wednesday in Pampanga where its candidates for national positions will be revealed.

Cusi also declined to comment on whether PDP-Laban was open to adopting the mayor as its standard-bearer.

"I don’t like to answer that because there are a lot of things to be taken into consideration, and it’s not only me that would make the decision,” he said.

The Cusi faction has endorsed President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go to be its vice presidential and presidential candidates, respectively.

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

Go, however, declined the endorsement, saying he was not interested in the presidency. He later admitted that he had offered himself as Mayor Sara’s running mate should she decide to join the presidential race.

Mayor Sara, chairperson of regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, said in July that she was open to running for president in 2022.   —KBK, GMA News