Bato believes Pres. Duterte really wants to run in Eleksyon 2022

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Tuesday said he believes President Rodrigo Duterte really wants to run for an elective post in the 2022 elections.

Dela Rosa made the remark in a television interview when asked about the moves of the PDP-Laban faction under Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi to convince Duterte to run in next year’s polls to strengthen their Senate slate.

“Tingnan natin kung talagang pinipilit ba siya or kagustuhan niya. We better get it from the horse’s mouth kung talagang gusto niya dahil ang alam ko gusto niya tumakbo talaga. ‘Yan ang alam ko,” dela Rosa, a longtime Duterte ally, said.

(Let’s see if he was really being forced to run or he really wants to seek an elective post. We better get it from the horse’s mouth because as far as I know, he really wants to run.)

“Alam mo, gusto niya mag-retire sometimes, sometimes naman gusto niyang tumakbo. Let’s leave him sa kanyang choice kung ano talagang gusto niya,” he added.

(Sometimes, he wants to retire. Sometimes, he wants to run. Let’s let him choose and decide on what he really wants to do.)

Dela Rosa decribed Duterte as a “workaholic” who wants to serve the country as long as he lives.

“Gusto niya hanggang mamatay siya nasa trabaho siya. Ayaw niya yung idle moments niya na useless, na walang ginagawa,” he said.

(He wants to serve until he dies. He doesn’t want idle moments when he feels useless.)

Last Wednesday, Cusi issued a statement disclosing calls for Duterte to run for senator in the coming 2022 elections.

The Cusi wing’s original plan was to push for the tandem of Senator Bong Go and Duterte in 2022, but the President decided to drop his 2022 plans, saying he would just retire from politics.

Go, a senator and Duterte’s longtime aide, filed his certificate of candidacy for vice president last October 2.

Bato on Sara helping Bongbong

Meanwhile, in the same interview, dela Rosa said he is not feeling “insecure” about Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte helping former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s presidential bid in 2022.

Himself a presidential aspirant, dela Rosa made the remark as he noted that Sara has not expressed her 100% support yet to Marcos’ presidential bid, saying it is just normal for a friend to find ways to help.

“How did I feel? Really, to be honest with you, I did not feel any insecurity pagdating sa support ni Mayor Inday Sara [when it comes to Mayor Inday Sara’s support to Marcos],” he said.

“Ang sinabi lang ni Mayor Inday Sara na [she] will find ways and means how to support the candidacy of Senator Bongbong. Being a friend, normal ‘yan na maghanap ka talaga ng paraan na matulungan mo ang kaibigan mo na tumakbo. Pero hindi naman niya sinasabi na, ‘I will support you 100 percent, Senator Bongbong, and I will dump 100 percent Senator Bato’ Wala man siyang sinabing ganun. So di ako nai-insecure,” he added.

(What Mayor Inday said is she will find ways and means to support the candidacy of Senator Bongbong. It is normal to find ways to help a friend who is running for an elective post. But she did not say, “I will support you 100 percent, Senator Bongbong, and I will dump 100 percent Senator Bato.” She did not say anything like that. So I am not insecure.)

Dela Rosa said he considers Marcos, son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., as an ally.

“Klaruhin natin na kami ni former Senator Bongbong ay hindi magkalaban, magkakampi po kami. Klaro ‘yan. Wala pong problema sa amin,” he said.

(Let’s be clear. Former Senator Bongbong and I are not enemies. We are allies. That’s clear. There’s no problem between us.)

Bongbong and Sara recently met in Cebu to attend the birthday celebration of Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Romualdez, wife of Bongbong’s cousin, House Majority Floor Leader Martin Romualdez, who also happens to be a close ally of Sara.

The discussion between Sara and Bongbong centered on how her local party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), can help him in Davao region.

A day after Sara and Bongbong’s meeting, dela Rosa visited Sara at her office to, according to him, remind her of the Commission on Elections’ November 15 deadline for candidate substitution.

Previously, dela Rosa said he was ready to be substituted and give way to Mayor Sara if she would decide to run for president in the coming elections.

There had been calls for Sara to run for president but she has since insisted that she wants to finish her third and last term as Davao City mayor.

Sara filed her certificate of candidacy for mayor on Oct. 2. —KBK, GMA News