“KAHIT nasaan man tayo sa mundo, kahit anong position man tayo manungkulan, magkaisa tayo sa pagtulong sa ating kapwa at sa pagmamahal sa ating Pilipinas,” says Mayor Sara Duterte in a video.
The statement seems to indicate that she will join the presidential race even if she has filed her candidacy for reelection.
Known for using Bisaya and English in media interviews, the mayor, who has led the surveys of probable presidential candidates, has also mastered Tagalog, an indication that she wants to be understood by everyone.
In my previous column I also boldly wrote in Tagalog: “Si Inday Sara hindi tatakbo? Kung naniwala kayo, ako hindi….”
I also said: “Kung ako ang nasa lugar ni Mayor bakit hindi ko sasamantalahin ang pagkakataon na maging Pangulo kung ito ang gusto ng marami? Sabihin niya lang na handa na siyang palitan ang kanyang ama sa Malakanyang! Kahit hindi na siya lumabas ng bahay para mangampanya, siya ang tiyak na magiging Pangulo Inday Sara sa susunod na anim na taon!”
On President Duterte, Malacanang in a press report last week said that the President is “sensitive” to public opinion and could still reconsider his plan to join the 2022 vice presidential race. The statement came out after a survey showed that the majority of those polled believed he would violate the Constitution if he decides to run for vice president.
I also believed then and wrote in Tagalog why the President should not push through with his plan to run for vice president: “….. Pero hindi nakakasiguro ang Pangulo na mananalo siya sa pagka pangalawang pangulo bagamat marami siyang nagawang kabutihan sa loob ng limang taong panunungkulan. Aminin natin matanda na siya at maraming nararamdamang sakit sa kalusugan.”
And I continued: “Gusto ng maraming Pilipino na maging masaya pa ang kanyang mga huling taon sa mundo sa piling ng mga apo hindi tulad ngayon na hanggang sa pagtulog dala dala niya ang problema ng bansa. Kaya baka hindi na siya botohan pa!”
(On Saturday, the President announced his retirement from politics– Editors.)
Some ambitious politicians and their supporters must have experienced sleepless nights because of Sara’s showing in the surveys because there is still a possibility that she might change her mind and join the presidential race.
We were in Panabo last week for the annual renewal of our car registration (It’s easy to deal with LTO people in Panabo than in Davao City regional office. Ewan ko ba kung bakit!-LDT).
What caught our attention while entering the city were over-sized tarpaulins of “Lacson for President” and “Sotto for Vice President” posted on one side of the national highway up to Kilometer 29 where the new LTO in Davao del Norte is located.
There is a law prohibiting early campaigning and posting of political propaganda. Are both lawmakers not aware of this?
I just laughed at myself and caught the attention of Jin Lorenz who was on the steering wheel. He glanced at me and asked: “Why are you laughing, Pa?” “Yang mga lawmakers, lawbreakers pa rin hanggang ngayon,” I said.
As of this writing, those who make their desire to run for president known are Lacson, Sen. Manny Pacquiao (who filed his COC on Oct. 1) and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.
We’re expecting more names to appear in the list of candidates as other notable names like Vice President Leni Robredo and former senator Bongbong Marcos have yet to make their moves..
Pero happy ako because we will again be entertained by some of these instant comedians on stage and we might even temporarily forget the problem on COVID-19. The more the merrier, hindi ba?
