President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said he was ready to retire after his presidency ends next year, amid clamor within his political party for him to seek the vice presidency in the 2022 national polls.
In an interview broadcast over the television station of Duterte’s preacher friend Apollo Quiboloy, the president said his immediate plan post-office was to go home to Davao City and retire there.
He also said he did not want to select his successor so members of the opposition would not be able to castigate his choice.
“Kasi mag-retire na ako and this time, ako ang mamili ng presidente, tapos ‘pag manalo sabihin nila, ano lang yan, perpetuate yourself in power. So nagre-resist ako,” Duterte said after he was asked by Quiboloy about his preferred president.
Duterte’s party, PDP-Laban, earlier urged Duterte to seek the vice presidency in the 2022 national elections.
The party’s national council also voted for a resolution urging Duterte to choose his running mate for president.
But Duterte said he was ready to retire.
“Well, ako naman, I’m ready for retirement. But if you ask me what is my greatest achievement, in a very humble way, ako, pastor, I exposed the oligarchy in the Philippines,” he told Quiboloy.
On Wednesday, Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte’s retirement would depend on the choice of his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, to seek the presidency.
“Naniniwala po ako na gusto ng magretiro ng presidente, pero naniniwala din po ako na gagawa ng decision ang presidente na mas makakabuti sa ating sambayanan. So, sa tingin ko po iyong isyu kung siya ay tatakbo o hindi, nakadepende po iyan, unang-una kung tatakbo si Mayor Inday Sara,” Roque said in a DZRH interview.
Duterte will not run to seek the vice presidency if his daughter vies for the presidency, Roque said.
“Pero kung hindi po tatakbo si Mayor Inday Sara ay palagi naman po niyang sinasabi na at sinabi na rin po ni (Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go) na kapag hindi tatakbo si Mayor Inday Sara pupuwedeng tumakbo si Sen. Bong Go pero tatakbo lang siya kung katambalan niya si Presidente Rodrigo Duterte,” Roque added.
So, sa akin po, tingnan muna natin ang mga pangyayari, kasi parang mayroon mga different scenarios at ang decision po ni Presidente siyempre ibabase niya kung anong nakakabuti sa ating sambayanan. John Ezekiel J. Hirro