ELEKSYON 2022

Lakas-CMD exec denies fielded prexy, VP bets are 'placeholders'

An official from the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) on Tuesday denied that the party only fielded placeholders for president and vice president for the May 2022 elections.

Lakas-CMD secretary general and Surigao del Sur Representative Prospero Pichay Jr. said the party is open to having negotiations with other candidates.

"I never mentioned anything about placeholders. The media can sometimes interpret wrongly what I say. I never even thought about placeholders," Pichay said in an interview on ANC.

"I did not say that (placeholders), I said we have a presidential candidate but we can still negotiate with other presidential candidates. In effect, I'm saying we put up a candidate, but if there are other candidates whose ratings are high, then we can consider them," he added.

Pichay further said the "business of substitution is actually not a good one."

One Anna Capella Velasco filed a certificate of candidacy for president under the Lakas-CMD. According to Pichay, "she was the one who was very much willing to run for president."

Pichay mentioned that the party also asked Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. to run for the highest post in the country, but the senator reportedly said, "Not now."

"They even asked me to also file a COC. I said, 'No, I'm not going to run,'" Pichay said.

"In other words, the party wanted to have somebody run for president."

Asked if Velasco and one Lyle Fernando Uy, who filed a COC for vice president, could be considered as nuisance candidates, Pichay said they are not.

"They cannot be considered a nuisance candidate because we are a party. A nuisance candidate cannot actually wage a campaign. Our party has 30 congressmen, so many governors, so many mayors. We can afford to wage a campaign," Pichay said.

Pichay earlier said the Lakas-CMD is open to having Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte substitute as their standard bearer for the coming elections.

Sara, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, has repeatedly said she will not run for president. She filed her certificate of candidacy to seek a third term as mayor of Davao City on October 2.

President Duterte, meanwhile, said Sara is already out of the race to succeed him.  —KBK, GMA News