Another major party taps placeholder for Sara

MANILA, Philippines — Another major political party has reserved a spot for Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio in case she changes her mind and decides to run for president in the May 2022 elections.

The once ruling and now reemerging Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) tapped a member, Anna Capela Velasco, to file a certificate of candidacy (COC) for president last week.

But party secretary general and Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. admitted that the candidate is just a placeholder for the presidential daughter in case she changes her mind and decides to run for president.

“We just filed (COC for president) so that just in case Mayor Inday decides to run for president under Lakas, we have something we can offer,” he revealed in an interview.

“We respect the decision of Mayor Sara to run for mayor. But you know we are not sure if that is final. So if in case she changes her mind then we can offer our party,” the House deputy speaker explained.

Apart from the COC for president, the Lakas-CMD also tapped another member, Lyle Fernando Uy, to file a COC for vice president last week.

Pichay further bared that their party has an alliance with the mayor’s Hugpong Ng Pagbabago regional party.

“We have an informal alliance; it has not been formalized because we haven’t signed the document. But we have an informal alliance with Hugpong ng Pagbabago,” he said.

The Lakas official said they remain hopeful that Mayor Duterte-Carpio would change her mind and run for president.

“Final cards will come out after Nov. 15. After Nov. 15 we will know for sure who the serious players are. And then the party will convene and decide who to support,” he added.

But later in the day, Pichay denied that the party only fielded placeholders for president and vice president for the May 2022 elections. He clarified that the party is open to having negotiations with other candidates.

“I never mentioned anything about placeholders. The media can sometimes interpret wrongly what I say. I never even thought about placeholders,” Pichay said in an interview on ANC.

“I did not say that (placeholders), I said we have a presidential candidate but we can still negotiate with other presidential candidates. In effect, I’m saying we put up a candidate, but if there are other candidates whose ratings are high, then we can consider them,” he explained.

The party of former president and Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is not the only major political party that has reserved a spot for Mayor Duterte-Carpio in the presidential race.

The ruling PDP-Laban, specifically the faction led by energy chief Alfonso Cusi, has tapped Sen. Ronald dela Rosa in filing a COC for president shortly before the deadline for filing last Oct. 8.

Dela Rosa admitted he was instructed by the party to file the candidacy at the last minute and that he would give way to Mayor Duterte-Carpio if she decides to run for president.

The mayor announced last week that she would want to finish a third term as local chief executive.

In Davao City, Duterte-Carpio was mum on Pichay’s statement but expressed gratitude to those who wish her speedy recovery after she tested positive for COVID-19 last week.The mayor is under quarantine for mild COVID-19.

“Even under quarantine, I can read your messages and prayers for my swift recovery. These messages give me not just strength in the body, but inner strength as well. It’s not easy to be separated from your family because of quarantine,” she said in Filipino. –  Edith Regalado