Salceda: Sara likely to run for president under Lakas

Albay Representative Joey Salceda claimed Wednesday that there is a huge possibility that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte will run under the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party if she pushes through in seeking the presidency in the May 2022 elections.

Salceda said Mayor Sara would run for president in the coming polls, adding that running for vice president is not an option for her. The Albay lawmaker said he has been in touch with Mayor Sara about her political plans since May.

Salceda said it is likely that Mayor Sara will not run under the ruling PDP-Laban party because there were still issues on which of its factions are "legitimate."

"Sa tingin niya sa PDP-Laban, mukhang hindi sa PDP-Laban eh. Ano ba sabi niya sa akin, malakas ang possibility sa Lakas," Salceda said at a press briefing. "May gulo pa kasi sa Comelec ang PDP kaya obviously hindi siya roon."

(Most likely it's not with PDP-Laban. There's a huge possibility that it will be Lakas. PDP still has an issue before the Comelec.)

GMA News Online reached Lakas-CMD president and Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for the party's comments regarding Salceda's latest remark but he has yet to reply as of posting time.

Earlier, Lakas-CMD's Prospero Pichay said they are open to having Mayor Sara as standard bearer of their party.

Days later, Pichay, however, said they were no longer expecting Mayor Sara to change her mind and be their standard bearer in the coming elections since the latter has insisted that she will seek a third term as Davao City mayor.

Meanwhile, PDP-Laban standard bearer Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa has said he is willing to be substituted by Mayor Sara for the coming elections.

PDP-Laban president and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said the ruling party "watches with keen interest" the developments on Mayor Sara's decision to withdraw her certificate of candidacy for Davao City mayor, especially considering the public support she enjoys.

"In any event, her actions, including any decision to run for a national elective office, will most certainly affect the political landscape," Cusi said in a separate  statement.

On Tuesday, Mayor Sara withdrew the certificate of candidacy for reelection that she filed last month. She said her brother, incumbent Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte, will substitute for her.

On the other hand, Vice Mayor Baste also withdrew his COC for reelection and was replaced by lawyer Melchor Quitain. — RSJ, GMA News