HIGHLIGHTS: Candidate substitution, withdrawal for 2022 PH elections

President Rodrigo Duterte won’t be running against his own daughter after all, at least according to his trusted aide and anointed presidential bet, Senator Bong Go.

In a message to media, the senator said he doesn’t want feelings to be hurt and that he’d rather Duterte not run for vice president. 

Speaking to DZRH, Go said Duterte would run for senator instead. 

PDP-Laban secretary-general Melvin Matibag later confirmed Duterte will be seeking a Senate seat in 2022 under the political party PDDS. He is set to substitute a certain Mona Liza Visorde.

WATCH: Outgoing Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque says Duterte to file substitution papers later via representative later. For what post? Roque claims Rodrigo and daughter Sara won’t run against each other. pic.twitter.com/3JlmS7BNx8

— Dwight De Leon (@newsdwight) November 15, 2021

After filing his papers for candidacy for senator, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque told reporters in an ambush interview on Monday, November 15, that President Rodrigo Duterte will not run against his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

Sara filed her certificate of candidacy for vice president on Saturday, November 13, while her father is expected to file for substitution of a candidate who has withdrawn within the day. Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said on Saturday that President Duterte will run for vice president, too. 

Lakas-CMD, the party Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte is running as vice president under, denied speculation that party president emeritus Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was behind the presidential daughter’s candidacy.

The party, through its chairman Senator Bong Revilla and president House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, said they “publicly committed to any national aspirations” of the Davao mayor.

The statement was in response to speculation and rumors online surrounding Sara Duterte’s candidacy.

Duterte and Arroyo are known allies. Lakas-CMD officials in the past have referred to former president Arroyo as a mentor of sorts to Duterte.

Here’s the full statement from Lakas-CMD:

From the beginning, Lakas-CMD, chaired by Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. with House Majority Floor Leader Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez as president, was publicly committed to any national aspirations of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

The idea of her running as vice president did not originate from former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

There was no meeting, planned or cancelled, between former president Arroyo and Mayor Duterte in Balesin.

There was no summons for former Senator Bongbong Marcos to go to Balesin.

As earlier stated by party president Romualdez, LAKAS-CMD is elated with Sara joining Lakas because of her “sterling qualities as a leader and we saw up close her exemplary work ethic as chief executive of Davao City.”