A faction from the ruling party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) has formally endorsed the tandem of Senator Christopher 'Bong' Go and President Rodrigo Duterte as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the upcoming national elections.
On Wednesday, Duterte, who presided over the event, accepted the nomination by the PDP-Laban faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.
“Thank you for the nomination, I am hopeful that this will allow me to continue serving the Filipino people and help lead the entire nation towards greater progress,” Duterte said in his speech.
According to Duterte, he had never been engaged in any corruption in his four decades in the government.
"Alam mo kung bakit ako tatakbong vice president? Is it ambition? Maybe. But is it really a sense of love of country? Yes. Because I want to see the continuity of my efforts even though I may not be the one giving the direction. Baka makatulong lang ako," the President continued.
“Kung nag-corrupt ako, I have been here 40 years, bakit ngayon pa? Bakit ako makialam sa procurement? E di sana noon pa, inumpisahan ko na," he added.
Go, meanwhile, declined the nomination for the presidency.
"I have already respectfully declined your endorsement through a letter I sent last week. I am hoping that the party will continue to respect my decision," the longtime aide to the President said in a separate statement.
The PDPD-Laban faction also revealed the names of the eight personalities who made it to their initial senatorial slate:
- Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III
- Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo
- Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade
- Leyte Congresswoman Lucy Torres-Gomez
- Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque
- Public Works and Highways Mark Villar
- Chairperson Greco Belgica of Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission
- Sagip party-list representative Rodante Marcoleta
