Duterte changes tune, seeks Senate slot for 2022 elections
Shelving his announcement last month that he was retiring from politics, President Rodrigo Duterte will run for the Senate in the May 2022 elections
Thought to be running for the vice presidency, Duterte's move put him out of conflict with daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, who filed her certificate of candidacy for the same position last Saturday at the Commission on Elections.
Duterte's representative, lawyer Melchor Aranas, filed the President's certificate of candidacy for senator on Monday.
Duterte replaced Mona Lisa Visorde of the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS) party after she withdrew her candicacy.
PDDS is the same party that nominated Senator Bong Go as its substitute presidential candidate last Saturday, replacing Grepor Belgica.
This came after Go withdrew as the vice presidential candidate of the ruling PDP-Laban party also last Saturday.
The Davao City mayor filed her candidacy, through her representative, to replace Lyle Uy.
Earlier, also filing as substitute presidential candidate was former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesman and retired General Antonio Parlade to replace Antonio Valdes for the Katipunan ng Demokratikong Pilipino.
"I think it is incumbent upon us to make sure that this program would be sustained. Politicians may allow it to end, but not non-politicians. We are not politicians. We will not allow that," said Parlade.
Newly-retired Philippine National Police chief Guillermo Eleazar also filed his candidacy for senator to replace Paolo de Andres of Partido Para sa Demokratikong Reporma.
He said he decided to run for senator after being invited by presidential aspirant Senator Ping Lacson, a former PNP chief.
"He (Lacson) is my idol. I saw how the PNP was when he was the PNP chief. Our advocacies and programs are much aligned," said Eleazar.
Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque also filed as a substitute senatorial bet for the People's Reform Party to replace Paolo Martelino.
He said he decided to run for senator to continue being with Duterte.
"We will be with President Duterte in the position he is running for. The President and I will never be separated," said Roque.
In a press briefing, Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said that the 10 substitutions made will still have to be processed as the acceptance of COCs of substitute bets are only ministerial.
"We still have to finalize their political party affiliations. It has to undergo the necessary process," said Jimenez.
He said substitution of candidates is no not new.
"Substitution has been going on for a long time. It's been part and parcel of Philippine politics. It is possible that it became prominent now because it's played out at the highest level," said Jimenez. DMS
