Aspirants for top posts unfazed by Sara Duterte’s VP bid

Some of the aspirants for the country’s top national positions on over the weekend said they were not bothered by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s entry into the vice presidential race for Eleksyon 2022.

Duterte filed her certificate of candidacy earlier on Saturday for Vice President under the Lakas-CMD party as a substitute for Lyle Uy, who withdrew his COC.

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, the running mate of presidential aspirant and Vice President Leni Robredo, on Saturday said they already expected such a scenario.

“Sumama po kami ni VP Leni sa halalang ito, dala ang matibay na paniwalang tanging si VP Leni ang pinaka nararapat sa pagkapangulo, lalo na’t tayo’y nasa gitna ng giyera laban sa sakit, gutom, at kawalang-trabaho,” Pangilinan said.

(VP Leni and I joined this election, with the firm belief that only VP Leni deserves the presidency, especially since we are in the middle of a war against disease, hunger, and unemployment.)

“Kaya kahit sino pa po ang sumali sa karera, tuloy lang po kami sa paghahanda para sa darating na kampanya,” he added.

(No matter who else joins the race, we will continue to prepare for the upcoming campaign.)

In Robredo's Sunday radio show, her spokesman Attorney Barry Gutierrez said they have been expecting these changes due to the substitution rule.

"In fact, lahat ng tao ine-expect na 'yan ang mangyayari na sa dulo, magkakaroon ng last minute substitution (Everyone expected this, that there will be last minute substitutions)," said Gutierrez.

He further lamented that public officials would rather focus on elections instead of the COVID-19 crisis.

"Baka nakakapanghina lang ng loob na makita 'yung mga taong inaasahan natin na manguna sa paglutas at pagtutok sa maraming problema, ito 'yung pinag-aaksayahan ng oras," Gutierrez said, reacting to President Rodrigo Duterte's announcement that he will run for the vice presidency in 2022.

(It is just heartbreaking to hear that these people in power would rather focus on these political moves than solve the country's issues.)

Presidential aspirant and Senator Manny Pacquiao meanwhile on Saturday said everyone has the right to run for public office.

“Lahat may karapatan na tumakbo. Lahat binibigyan ng karapatan para magpapili. At the end of the day ang tao naman ang pipili kung sino ang ilalagay nila dyan,” Pacquiao said in a statement.

(Everyone has the right to run. At the end of the day, people choose who they want for the position.)

Pacquiao said he would not bother himself with the political plans and actions of other people.

“Ang hiling ko lang naman sa taumbayan eh mag-isip silang mabuti. Pag-isipan nilang mabuti kasi parang pinaglalaruan na lang tayo...Pinaglalaruan 'yung taumbayan,” he said.

(My only request to the people is to think carefully. Let them think carefully because it looks like we are just being played...The people are being played.)

Senator Panfilo Lacson and his running mate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, both declined to comment on Saturday, stating that they will not engage in "gutter politics" in the run-up to the national elections.

“Kaming dalawa ni Sotto mayroon kaming kasunduan. Hindi kami magkokomento tungkol sa aming mga competitors, 'yung ibang mga tumatakbo. We want to keep the level of discourse sa mataas na level, walang gutter politics,” Lacson said during their visit to Negros Occidental on Saturday.

(Sotto and I have an agreement that we will not comment on our competitors. We want to keep the level of discourse at a high level. No gutter politics.)

Sotto, who is running for vice president, said they would only focus on their platform.

“Same as before, we are focused on our governance, on our program and platform for good governance. It doesn’t matter to us who else is running,” he added.

Presidential aspirant and labor leader Leody "Ka Leody" de Guzman also voiced his opinion on Twitter on the Dutertes' decision to run for the top two posts in the country.

"Naloko na! Umiigting ang tunggalian ng mga elitistang trapo para sa kapangyarihan. Maglaban-laban man o magsanib, tanging sariling interes ang inaalala ng mga yan, hindi ang kapakanan ng masa, habang inaaliw lang tayo sa kanilang telenobela," he tweeted.

"Nagtitiwala ako na ang sagot ng masa sa kalokohang ito ay 'NEVER AGAIN TO MARCOS AND DUTERTE.' Tuloy ang laban para sa demokrasya at gobyerno ng masa. Biguin ang mga angkan ng mandarambong at mamamatay-tao. Tuloy ang laban!" he added. —with a report from Ma. Angelica Garcia/VBL/KG, GMA News