Pimentel on Duterte running for VP in Eleksyon 2022: He’s just teasing us

Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Monday said President Rodrigo Duterte was just "teasing" the public when he announced that he will run for vice president to escape possible criminal charges.

In an interview on GMA News' Unang Balita, Pimentel said Duterte, being a lawyer, knows that there is no provision in the 1987 Constitution that a vice president has immunity from suit.

"Tinutukso lang tayo ni President Duterte, he is a lawyer, ang binabasa ni President Duterte is the Philippine Constitution. Hindi na niya pinagaaksayahan ng oras ang PDP-Laban Constitution," Pimentel said.

(He is just teasing us. He is a lawyer, he is reading the Philippine Constitution and he is not wasting time reading the PDP-Laban Constitution.)

"Alam ni President Duterte na walang immunity ang vice president from suit, wala namang nakasulat doon eh. So alam niya 'yan, tinutukso niya lang tayo, tinitingnan lang niya reaksyon ng taumbayan saka ng mga lawyers para malaman niya kung sino ang bright na lawyer dito sa hindi bright na lawyer," he added.

(He knows that a vice president has no immunity from suit. He is just teasing us and he is just checking the reaction of the public, including the lawyers, so he will know who are the bright ones.)

At the oath-taking of the new PDP-Laban officials, Duterte said he would pursue the vice presidency in the 2022 national elections if his critics continue to threaten him with criminal complaints once he steps down from the presidency.

Reacting to the President's remark, Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares said Duterte's plan to "escape imprisonment" showed that he will just run for "self-serving personal interest."

Colmenares, a lawyer, also claimed that immunity for president as well as vice president was already removed from the 1987 Constitution.

PDP-Laban secretary general Attorney Melvin Matibag, for his part, said Duterte is known for "playing with words." He said the public should just wait if Duterte would really run for vice president.

"Alam naman po natin ang pangulo, he play with words eh, mga legal jargon, sinasabi niya 'yan at minsan nga sinasabi pa niya, niloloko at iniinis lang niya ang oposisyon kaya niya sinasabi. Kaya nga po ang gawin natin, hintayin natin kung siya'y magfafile," Matibag said.

(We know that the President plays with words, with legal jargons. Sometimes, he's saying that he is just teasing the opposition. So for now, let's just wait if he will file or not.)

"''Yan pong mga paguusap na 'yan ay masasagot lamang pag nangyari na, pag mayroon na pong right for judicial adjudication. So tingnan po natin," he added.

(We can debate about this if he has already filed his candidacy, when there's already a right for judicial adjudication...) — RSJ, GMA News