Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Monday said he is “very much willing” to withdraw his certificate of candidacy (COC) for president if Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte would seek the presidency under PDP-Laban.
“’Pag sa PDP, i-accept niya ang offer ng PDP to become our standard-bearer, then by all means I will withdraw at papalit siya,” Dela Rosa said in a virtual interview with reporters.
(If she will accept the offer to be PDP-Laban’s standard-bearer, then by all means, I will withdraw my COC.)
“Willing ako. I am very much willing kasi ‘yung winnability niya masyadong mataas and ‘yung kanyang capability, ‘yung kanyang capacity to lead, ay beyond question,” he added.
(I am very much willing because she has high winnability and her capability and capacity to lead are beyond question.)
Should the presidential daughter decide to run for president under another political party, Dela Rosa said he will support Sara “through and through” and wait for PDP-Laban’s decision if his presidential bid will push through.
“‘Kung ibang partido naman ang tatakbuhan niya, through and through ako magsusuporta. Pero I have to wait for the decision of our party kung mag-withdraw ako o hindi,” he said.
(If she runs under another political party, I will support her through and through. But I have to wait for the decision of our party if I will withdraw my COC or not.)
Two hours before
On the other hand, Dela Rosa admitted that his decision to run for president was finalized about two hours before the period of filing COC ended on October 8.
“Tinawagan ako 3 p.m. in the afternoon na pumunta sa Sofitel para mag-file ng COC,” he said.
(I was called at 3 p.m. and I was told to go to Sofitel and file my COC.)
He denied that the PDP-Laban is waiting for Sara until the last minute of the COC filing.
Dela Rosa added that he was not instructed by the party leadership to be the temporary standard-bearer for PDP-Laban until the end of the period of substitution on November 15.
‘Not last-minute choice’
PDP-Laban secretary general Attorney Melvin Matibag said on Monday Dela Rosa was not a “last minute” choice to be the party’s standard bearer for Eleksyon 2022.
Matibag told reporters that in his previous interviews, Dela Rosa was already mentioned as among those being considered to run for president. However, a tandem of Senator Christopher “Bong” Go and President Rodrigo Duterte was being pushed by the party.
Matibag also said protocols were strictly followed in picking Dela Rosa as the party’s presidential candidate.
“It’s really not last minute, because if you will recall ‘yung mga interviews noon, kasama lagi sa binabanggit si Senator Bato, si Senator Tolentino and some Cabinet secretaries,” Matibag said.
(It’s really not a last minute because if you will recall in the previous interviews, Senator Bato was already considered and mentioned, alongside Senator [Francis] Tolentino and some Cabinet secretaries.)
“Hanggang alas singko naman ‘yung filing… Kasi kung last minute, 4:59 na ‘yun. Hindi naman kami nag-file ng five o’ clock. Dumaan lahat sa proseso ‘yan,” he added.
(The filing is until 5 p.m. If it’s last minute, the filing would have to be at 4:59 p.m. We didn’t file at 5 p.m. This underwent due process.)
Over the weekend, Dela Rosa said he had received President Rodrigo Duterte’s blessing to run for president in next year’s elections.
Dela Rosa’s running-mate, Senator Bong Go, filed his certificate of candidacy on October 2.
Amid persistent calls from her supporters for her to seek the presidency, Sara Duterte maintained last week that she is seeking reelection in the May 2022 elections.
“I am presenting myself to the Dabawenyos as mayor for the third and last time in my life as a politician. I call on everyone to work together for an honest, orderly, and credible elections in May 2022,” Sara said in a Facebook post last Friday, the last day of filing COCs.
Sara filed her COC for her reelection bid on October 2.
President Duterte on Friday conceded that Sara Duterte would not join the race to succeed him in Malacañang next year. —KBK/KG, GMA News
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