Running for president will be Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio's decision and will not be influenced by anyone, her Hugpong ng Pagbabago party said Thursday.
Duterte-Carpio will decide "notwithstanding her unconditional love" for her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, said Hugpong Secretary General Anthony del Rosario.
The younger Duterte said Wednesday that her father tried to convince her to either take Sen. Bong Go as her running mate or if she runs for president, or support Go as president with the incumbent sliding down to the vice presidency.
"Notwithstanding her unconditional love for her father, our chairperson, Mayor Sara, reiterated once again to HNP that she will make her own decision on the matter of her run for the presidency at her own time," Del Rosario said.
"She likewise informed HNP that her decision on the matter will be her own, and will never be based on what other people or other political parties want, do or say," he added.
Duterte announced his plan to run for vice president late Tuesday night but the portion of the address that aired made no mention of his running mate for president, which reports later identified as Go, who is also the choice of his PDP-Laban party mates.
"I respectfully advise them to stop talking about me and make me the reason for them running or not running," Duterte-Carpio said Wednesday.
Hugpong respects the mayor's decision to carefully study her 2022 plans, as she knows that running for president is "something that should never be taken lightly," Del Rosario said.
In a separate statement, Go said he and Sara had spoken and they have no issues with one another.
"Kung anong pagmamahal ko sa tatay, ganun din po ang pagmamahal ko sa mga anak. Alam ni Pangulong Duterte yan," he said as he maintained that he has no interest in running for president next year.
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