Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said Wednesday he was seeking to run for vice president in the 2022 elections in tandem with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for president.
Gatchalian said he had signified his intention to Duterte-Carpio to run for vice president under her party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago, and he would not push through with his plan to seek the second highest government post if not in tandem with President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter.
"I will not run for VP (if not as Sara's VP). I already signified my intention to her when we talked," he told ANC in an interview.
The 47-year-old former Valenzuela mayor expressed his intention to run for vice president in the 2022 elections as early as July, although he said he could still seek reelection in the Senate.
He believes his experience as a public servant for more than 20 years could help the country bounce back from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Debt is one of the problems but the biggest problem is economic growth. Without economic growth, you will not have revenues to pay those debt," he said.
"And those issues should be tackled with someone who has experience, and I feel that over the last 20 years I've gained a lot of experience that can contribute to a quick recovery of our country," he added.
Apart from Gatchalian, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez and former Defense Sec. Gilbert Teodoro have also expressed openness to be Duterte-Carpio's running mate in the 2022 elections should she decide to seek the presidency.
The Davao City mayor has yet to firm up her decision about running for president, although she said she was open to it.
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