Taguig 1st District Congressman Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday shot down the possibility of endorsing a presidential bet in the upcoming May elections, saying that he would rather be an independent candidate.
"I think at this stage, in my paninilbihan sa bayan, I'd rather na maging independent pero maging open-minded," Cayetano told DZRH.
(I think at this stage, in my service to the country, I’d rather be independent but open-minded.)
The representative, who is eyeing a comeback in the Senate, reasoned that he wants the freedom to call out the future president when they are wrong in their decisions instead of holding himself back because of political affiliations.
"I wanted the freedom na 'yung tama, tama, 'yung mali, mali. So meaning kahit sinong kandidato yan, o sinong manalo, kapag tama ang ginagawa, susuportahan ko. I can work with him or her," he said.
(I want freedom on what is right or wrong. Meaning, whoever wins among the candidates, I will support them if they are doing something right. I can work with him or her.)
"On the other hand, kapag mali katulad nitong e-sabong, ayokong sabihin na kakampi ko kasi 'yan, o campaign manager, o tumakbo ako kasama nila, kaya kailangan umoo na lang ako," he added.
(On the other hand, if they are doing something wrong like in e-sabong, I don’t want to say that I need to agree with them just because they were my ally or my campaign manager, or I ran with them.)
He said that he also does not want to get too involved with a certain party or political personality to avoid becoming a die-hard and blind fanatic.
"Sa pulitika, na minsan naaadik ka rin sa isang partido, sa isang kandidato, na nagiging die hard ka, so pati yung mali nagiging tama," he said.
(In politics, sometimes you also get addicted to a single party, to a single candidate, that you become a die-hard person, where even the wrong becomes right.)
Cayetano is running independently for senator in the upcoming May elections. The latest Pulse Asia pre-election survey saw him in second place with other returning senators Loren Legarda and Chiz Escudero.
