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Malacanang admitted on Thursday that President Rodrigo Duterte has no final decision on whether or not he will run for vice president in next year's elections.

"At this point, we cannot definitely say that he will or will not run and that's his right because he has until October to decide," said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in a televised press briefing.

Roque earlier said that Duterte has until December to decide on whether he will run for 2022 polls or not since the Commission on Elections allows last minute substitution of candidates belonging to accredited political parties.

Duterte, in a speech on Wednesday in Malacanang, said "count me out" in the vice presidential race if House Majority Leader Ferdinand G. Romualdez will run for the same post.

He said he will honor his promise to Romualdez when he asked him to withdraw from the speakership race in 2019 in exchange of supporting the lawmaker in his vice presidential bid in 2022.

But in the same speech, Duterte said he still has much to do to accomplish his campaign promises, including in the fight against illegal drugs.

"I do acknowledge though that because of his mention of unfinished business that probably is basis for concluding that he is considering still a run for vice president. But his first declaration ' the vice president, it's nothing, it's just a flower there until the other wilt' also indicates that you could construe it as the President having decided not to run. So, let's just wait," the spokesman said.

Duterte's partymates in PDP-Laban recently came out with a resolution urging Duterte to run for vice president in 2022 polls. Celerina Monte/DMS