(UPDATE) President Rodrigo Duterte's PDP-Laban Party on Monday adopted a resolution to "convince" him to run for vice president in 2022 and choose his running mate.
Members of the PDP-Laban national council present during a meeting in Cebu approved and signed the resolution, which was borne out of similar petitions and resolutions from local chapters of the party. Duterte serves as chairman of the party.
Such local resolutions began circulating in March. Duterte, who is ineligible for reelection, is leaving a possible vice presidential run up to God, Malacañang said last week.
When he reached the term limit for mayor in Davao City, Duterte served as vice mayor, with his daughter, Sara Duterte-Caprio serving as mayor. Duterte-Carpio is leading in the presidential surveys.
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The party's president, Sen. Manny Pacquiao, earlier called for a boycott of the national council meeting, organized by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, their vice chairman.
Pacquiao said the meeting was not sanctioned by authorized national council officials, violating their Constitution. Malacañang later confirmed that it was Duterte who directed Cusi to preside over the meeting.
In his short video message during the meeting, Duterte urged his partymates to maintain their unity and stay true to PDP-Laban's mission of prioritizing the welfare of the people.
"I call on all of my partymates to stand together and remain united, not by personal interest but by our principles and values as we chart the future of our party and the rest of the nation," he said.
