For now, President Rodrigo Duterte's priority is ensuring that the Philippines secures enough supply of COVID-19 vaccines, Malacañang said Friday as some of his party mates urged him to run for vice president next year.
Asked about Duterte's 2022 plans, his spokesperson Harry Roque said he had yet to speak to the 75-year-old chief executive regarding the matter and noted that such was not a priority for now.
"Sa ngayon po, nakatutok ang Presidente dito sa pagpapabakuna dahil kinakailangan sa lalong mabilis na panahon, makahanap tayo ng bakuna at maibigay ito sa ating mga kababayan,” Roque said in a press briefing in Ilocos Norte.
“Ngayon po, lahat kaming mga miyembro ng gabinete, kani-kaniyang assignment, umiikot sa iba't-ibang parte ng Pilipinas para engganyuhin ang ating medical frontliners at ating kababayan na magpabukana. Yan po ang marching orders ng ating Presidente," he added.
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Duterte Party Wants Him to Run for Vice President
Duterte's PDP Laban Party has launched a "manifesto of support" to urge him to run for vice president once he steps down from the presidency next year.
The call came on the same day that President Duterte said his longtime aide Sen. Bong Go wants to run to succeed him.
While Go dismissed Duterte's statement as a joke, the neophyte lawmaker also said that he might change his mind should the former Davao City mayor run for vice president.
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